SC'OPELID.E. 413 



4. Genus SCOPELUS, Cuvier. 



Syn. Myctophum (Nyctophus}, Lampanyctus, Cocco ; Alysia, Lowe ; 

 Neoscopelus, Johnson ; Ceratoscopelus, Dasyscopelus, Giinther. 



Branchiostegals 8-10. Gill-openings very wide. Body oblong 

 and compressed. Eyes large ; sometimes a supraorbital spine. 

 Snout short. Bones of head thin, but osseous. Cleft of mouth 

 very deep ; premaxillaries long and tapering ; maxillaries well 

 developed. Teeth villiform in both jaws, on the palatines, ptery- 

 goids, and on the tongue ; usually absent from the vomer except 

 in some large specimens. Eayed dorsal fin in about the middle of 

 the length of the body ; a small adipose fin likewise present. 

 Pectoral well developed, also the ventral, which has eight rays. 

 Anal rather long. Caudal forked. Scales large, smooth, or with 

 rough edges, or even minute spines. Air-bladder small. Pyloric 

 appendages few. 



These fishes have a row of luminous spots along the lower 

 portion of the body ; sometimes similar spots are also present on 

 the head, snout, and back of tail, or a few may occur on the sides. 



Geographical Distribution. Temperate and tropical seas. 



526. (l.) Scopelus indicns. (Fig. 133.) 

 Scopelus indicus, Day, Fish. India, p. 507, pi. cxviii, fig. 2. 

 D. 10/0. P. 14. V. 8. A. 18. L. 1. 43. L. tr. 3J/5. 



Length of head 5, height of body 4| in the total length. Eyes 

 diameter 2| in the length of head, | diam. from end of snout 

 and also apart. No spine above the orbit. Fins dorsal not quite 

 so high as the body below it. Pectoral reaches the middle of the 

 ventral, whilst the ventral nearly extends to the anal. Scales 

 smooth, the row beneath the lateral line much larger than the 



Fig. 133. Scopelus indicitit. 



others. Colour deep metallic blue in the upper portion of the 

 body, becoming lighter on the sides and beneath. A line of round 

 golden spots along the lower edge of the abdomen, and a few 

 larger ones scattered over the sides. 



Halt. A single specimen, now in a bad state, was collected by 

 Sir Walter Elliot at Vi/agapatam. 



