654 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



j 



Milfird.tn.Sia 



BEAKED SALMON 



Known in New Zealand at the Sand-eel 



pike ; the other species are known as PlKEREL. The immature pike is commonly called a 

 JACK. 



The ARAPAIMAS are large fresh-water fishes, confined to the tropics, their distribution being 

 practically the same as that of the Lung-fishes ; they are represented in America, Australia, 

 and Africa, but one species occurs in the East Indian Archipelago. The largest species of 

 all which is also the largest fresh-water bony fish known is found in the rivers of Brazil and 

 the Guianas, attaining a length of 15 feet and a weight of 400 Ibs. It is highly esteemed 

 as an article of food, being salted and exported from the inland fisheries to the sea-ports. 

 The natives take it either with a rod and line, or with a bow and arrow, a line being fastened 

 to the arrow, thus converting it into a harpoon. 



Four species of arapaimas are distinguished by the presence of " barbels " on the chin; 

 of these, two are Australian, one American, and one occurs in Sumatra and Borneo. Yet 

 another species is found in the Nile and the rivers of West Africa. The Australian species, 

 like the large Brazilian form, are highly esteemed as food ; one of these, known as the DAWSON 

 RIVER SALMON, is confined to the rivers of Queensland, the other to the rivers emptying 

 into the Gulf of Carpentaria. 



The BEAKED SALMON occurs in the open seas of the Cape, Japan, and Australia; but in 

 New Zealand, where it is known as the SAND-EEL, it is found in bays with a sandy bottom. 



The group of fishes known as SCOPELIDS is one of particular interest, on account of the 

 number of remarkable forms which it contains. For the most part they are inhabitants of 

 the open sea, many being found only at great depths. Of the latter, some apparently come 

 to the surface to feed at night, whilst others are entirely confined to the abysses of the ocean. 

 As with the members of other groups which have adopted a deep-sea habitat, certain modifications 

 of the body have become necessary in these fishes. Many of them have a direct relation to the 

 absence of light, which has rendered normal eyes of little use ; consequently the eyes of these 

 fishes have become either greatly reduced or enormously enlarged, or sometimes lost altogether. 

 As a rule the large-eyed forms are those which come to the surface at night or do not live 

 beyond the reach of daylight; whilst those in which the eyes are small or reduced live in 

 the very lowest depths, far beyond the limit of daylight. In all these forms compensation 

 for the loss of light has taken place, generally by the development of phosphorescent organs. 

 These may take the form of a number of luminous areas distributed down each side of the 

 body, as in the PHOSPHORESCENT SARDINE; or of a pair of lens-like light-producing organs, 

 occupying the place of the eyes of other fishes. Another eyeless member of the group, instead 

 of developing light-producing organs, has increased the length of the rays of the paired fins 

 to an enormous extent, so that they serve as delicate feelers either for the discovery of food 

 or the detection of enemies. Many of the fishes of this group have extremely large mouths, 

 armed with a formidable array of tusk-like teeth, between which are numerous smaller ones. 



As food-fishes the majority of the Scopelids are not of much value. The species known 

 as the QUEENSLAND SMELT, shown in the adjoining photograph, is an edible species, occurring 

 off the north-west coast of Australia. Its near ally, the BUMMALOE, or BOMBAY DUCK, how- 

 ever, enjoys a quite exceptional notoriety. Salted and dried, it is exported in large quantities 



