Classijication of the Ordtv Pedivulati. 

 Fif?. 4. 



281 



epo eoc 



Skull oi Lophins piscatorius, from above aud from below. 

 Lettering as in fig. 3. eth, mesethmoid ; cpo, epiotic. 



Family 1. Lophiidae. 



Body naked ; head large, depre.ssed ; mouth wide, pro- 

 tractile, with depressible cardiform teeth in jaws ; palate 

 usually toothed. Gill-opening below and behind, or partly 

 in front of base of pectoral. Spinous dorsal typically of 

 3 cephalic and 3 post-cephalic rays ; soft dorsal and anal 

 short or moderate. Vertebras 19 * to 32 or more. Two long- 

 pectoral radials. 



The Lophiidie are shore-fishes, or may live on the bottom 

 in deep water. There are 4 well-defined genera, viz. : 

 Lojyhius, Linn., Lophiomus, Gill, Sladema, Regan, and 

 Chirolophms, Regan, The last is distinguished by the free 

 opercular flap and the long projecting pscudobrachia. In 



* In " Lophius " brachysomus, Agass., from the Upper Eocene of 

 Monte Bolca, there are about 19 vertebr?e, as in Lophiomus and Chiro- 

 lophius. 



