Glasdfication of the Dlennioid Fishes. 277 



Family 11. Rhodichthyidae. 



Bhodi'chthys regina is known to me only from Collett's 

 description and figures* of the type, 297 mm. in total 

 lengtli, from the depths of the North Atlantic ; it is a very 

 remarkable fish, naked, translucent, and bright red in colour; 

 it agrees with the Zoarcida3 in the restricted gill-openings, 

 the jugular position of the pelvic fins, and the correspondence 

 between tiie fin-rays and the myotomes. The vent is placed 

 at the throat and each pelvic fin is a long bifid filament, 

 characters which indicate that this fish should probably rank 

 as the type of a separate family. 



Division 3. Ophidiifobmes. 



Dorsal and anal basalia outnumbering the corresponding 

 neural or haemal spines. Suborbital ring, when ossified, as in 

 the Cliniformes. Operculum V-shaped. No spinous fin-rays. 

 Exoccipital condyles meeting above the basioccipital ; ante- 

 rior face of first centrum convex, fitting the slight concavity 

 of the basioccipital. 



The three families have also the following characters in 

 common : — 



Pelvic fins, when present, jugular or mental, close to- 

 gether, each of 1 or 2 filamentous rays. Teeth cardiform or 

 villiform, in bands in the jaws and usually on the vomer and 

 palatines ; prsemaxillavies wnth short ascending processes ; 

 maxillaries well developed, expanded behind. Palatine with 

 a maxillary process ; pterygoid normally connected with 

 ))alatine and quadrate ; hyoraandibular very broad ; oper- 

 culum V-shaped, the upper fork usually forming a sharp 

 spine; suboperculum large ; 6 to 8 branchiostegals. Cranium 

 elongate, with the postorbital portion longer than the orbito- 

 rostral and the parasphenoid united with the frontals in front 

 of the pro-otics and alisphenoids ; ethmoid keeled. Post- 

 temporal more or less distinctly forked ; coracoids weakly 

 ossified; pectoral radials 4, moderate. First two vertebrae 

 short ; third with a sessile rib; which is expanded to support 

 the air-bladder. 



Family 1, Brotulidae. 



The pelvic fins, when present, are jugular and the vent is 

 remote from the head. As a rule the long dorsal and anal 



* Norwegian N. Atlantic Exped. Fish. p. l53, pi, v, (1880). 



