450 Phthinobranchii 
composed of plates which are soldered to the ribs. The small 
toothless mouth is at the end of a long snout. 
Fig. 355.—Shrimp-fish, Moliscus strigatus (Ginther). Riu Kiu Islands, Japan. 
These little fishes with the transparent carapace look very 
much like shrimps. Centriscus scutatus (Amphisile) with the 
terminal spine fixed is found in the East Indies, and oliscus 
strigatus with the terminal spine movable is found in southern 
Japan and southwards. 
A fossil species, 4oliscus heinrichi, is found in the Oligocene 
Fic. 356 —Aoliscus heinrichi Heckel. Eocene of Carpathia. Family Centriscide. 
(After Heckel.) 
of various parts of Europe, and Centriscus longirostris occurs 
in the Eocene of Monte Bolca. 
In the Centriscide and Macrorhamphoside the expansions 
of the hypocoracoid called infraclavicles are not developed. 
The Lophobranchs.— The suborder Lophobranchii (Ao@os, 
tuft; Bpayyos, gill) is certainly an offshoot from the Hemi- 
branchii and belongs likewise among the forms transitional 
from soft to spiny-rayed fishes. At the same time it is a 
degenerate group, and in its modifications it turns directly 
away from the general line of specialization. 
The chief characters are found in the reduction of the gills 
to small lobate tufts attached to rudimentary gill-arches. The 
so-called infraclavicles are present, as in most of the Hemi- 
branchii, Bony plates united to form rings take the place of 
scales. The long tubular snout bears the short toothless jaws at 
the end. The preopercle is absent, and the ventrals are seven- 
rayed or wanting. The species known as pipefishes and sea-horses 
are all very small and none have any economic value. They are 
