582 FISHES. 



Second Family — Scopelid^, 



Body naked or scaly. Margin of the ii.ppcr jaw formed hy 

 the intermaxillary only ; opercular apparatus sometimes in- 

 completely developed. Barhels none. Gill-opening very wide ; 

 pseudohrcLncMw u-ell developed. Air-hladder none. Adipose 

 fin present. The eggs are enclosed in the sacs of the ovary, and 

 excluded hy oviducts. Pyloric appendages few in number or 

 absent. Intestinal tract very short. 



Exclusively marine, the majority being either pelagic or 

 deep-sea forms. Of fossil remains the following have been 

 referred to this family : — Osmeroides, from Mount Lebanon, 

 which others believe to be a marine salmonoid ; Hemiscmrida, 

 from Comen, allied to Saurus ; Parascopehts and Anapterus, 

 from the miocene of Licata, the latter genus allied to 

 Paralepis. 



Saurus (inclus. Saurida). — Body sub-cylindrical, rather elong- 

 ate, covered with scales of moderate size ; head oblong ; cleft of 

 the mouth very wide ; intermaxihary very long, styUform, taper- 

 ing ; maxillary thin, long, closely adherent to the intermaxillary. 

 Teeth card-like, some being elongate, slender ; all can be laid 

 downwards and inwards. Teeth on the tongue, and palatine 

 bones. Eye of moderate size. Pectorals short ; ventrals eight- 

 or nine-rayed, inserted in advance of the dorsal, not far behind 

 the pectorals. Dorsal fin nearly in the middle of the length of 

 the body, with thirteen or less rays ; adipose fin small ; anal 

 short or of moderate length ; caudal forked. 



Fifteen species of small size, from the shores of the 

 tropical and sub-tropical zones. The species figured on 

 p. 42, Fig. 5, occurs on the north-west coast of Australia and 

 in Japan. 



Bathysaurus. — Shape of the body similar to that of Saurus, 

 sub-cylindrical, elongate, covered with small scales. Head de- 

 pressed, with the snout produced, flat above. Cleft of the mouth 



