470 



FISHES. 



large proportion of the genera, therefore, have gradually found 

 their way to the greatest deptlis of the ocean ; retaining all 

 the characteristics of their surface-ancestors, but assuming the 

 modifications by which they are enabled to live in abyssal 

 depths. 



LOPHIUS. — Head exceedingly large, broad, depressed, with the 

 eyes on its upper surface ; cleft of the mouth very wide. Jaws 

 and palate armed with rasp-like depressible teeth of unequal 

 size. Body naked ; bones of the head armed with numerous 

 spines. The three anterior dorsal spines are isolated, situated 

 on the head, and modified into long tentacles ; the three follow- 

 ing spines form a continuous fin ; the soft dorsal and anal 

 short. Gills three. Young individuals have the tentacles beset 

 with lappets, and most of the fin-rays prolonged into filaments. 



These fishes are well known under the names " Fishing- 

 Frog," " Frog-fishes," " Anglers," or " Sea-devils." They are 

 coast-fishes, living at very small depths. Four species are 

 known : the British species (Z. piscatoo-ius) found all round 

 the coasts of Europe and Western North America, and on the 

 Cape of Good Hope ; a second (Mediterranean) species, L. 



Fig. 209. — Lophius piscatorius. 



hudegassa ; L. setigcrus from China and Japan ; and L. 

 naresii from the Admiralty Islands. 



The habits of all these species are identical. The wide 



