2858 



THE BONY FISHES AND GANOIDS 



Hedgehog 

 Mouths 



in the figured species the teeth are small, in the allied genus Chauliodus they are 

 greatly elongated, and thus indicate highly predaceous habits on the part of their 

 owner. 



The members of the second family of which the bearded hedgehog 

 mouth {Echiostoma barbatum), shown in the lower figure of our illus- 

 tration, is taken as an example, may be readily distinguished from the 

 preceding by the presence of a long barbel to the hyoid; the skin being either 

 naked or covered with exceedingly delicate scales, and the fatty fin (as in the 

 figured specimen) frequently wanting. In other characteristics these fishes closely 

 resemble those of the preceding family. When a fatty fin is present, as in the 

 genus Astronesthes, the rayed dorsal is of considerable length, and placed in 



SILVERY I.IGHT FISH, AND BARBED HEDGEHOG MOUTH. 

 (One-half natural size. ) 







advance of the anal; but in the other genera both the anal and dorsal are short, and 

 placed opposite to one another a short distance in advance of the forked caudal. In 

 the genus represented by the figured species, the body is naked and the pectoral fins 

 are filamentous; but in the allied Stomias there are exceedingly small scales which 

 scarcely overlap one another. Occasionally met with floating in a helpless con- 

 dition, these fishes have been dredged from depths of eighteen hundred fathoms; 

 and it will not escape the notice of the reader that, although dwelling in total 

 darkness, they, like most of their allies, have well-developed eyes. On this point, 

 Monsieur Filhol writes that ' ' the existence of eyes in fishes which we believe to 

 live in a dark medium, seems at first sight impossible to understand. But this fact 

 receives an explanation when we learn that tie creatures furnished with these 



