GREGORY: FISH SKULLS 



377 



teeth and broad rounded molars, which enable the fish to crush sea-urchins and sand-dollars 

 (Adams, 1908, p. 332). The braincase in the top view (Fig. 254C) is narrow, in part at 

 least due to the powerful development of the jaw muscles. The orbits are far forward and 

 widely removed from the sphenotics. The ethmoid and prefrontals are necessarily massive 

 to withstand the thrust of the heavy premaxillae. The ascending processes of the latter 

 are extraordinarily massive; they abut against the deepened ethmoid. The preopercular 



rneth 



Anarhichas vomerlnus 



/Anarhichas lupus 



Fig. 255. Anarhichas. 



appears as a heavy vertical bar, which reinforces the hyomandibular and projects downward 

 behind the huge mandible. 



According to Tate Regan (1912^, p. 277) the brotulids (Fig. 256) and ophidiids belong 

 in the blennioid group. The skull of a small ophidiid suggests that of Zoarces but is in 

 some features less specialized, e.g. a small supramaxilla is retained and the teeth are less 

 specialized. 



The remarkable genus Fierasfer (Fig. 257) is an eel-like fish that lives in sea-cucumbers. 

 According to Tate Regan (1910(2, p. 15) the skeleton agrees in many important features 

 with that of Brotula of the ophidioid group. Skulls of two species of Fierasjer are carefully 

 figured in the monograph by Emery (1880, Tav. Ill) along with comparative figures of 

 Ophidium, Pteridium, Motella, Gobius, etc. Emery also referred Fierasfer to the Ophidiidae. 

 Boulenger (1910, p. 622) placed it with the Heteromi, but its relationship with the ophidioids 

 seems well established. 



According to Mr. G. Allan Frost (1929a, p. 123) the very small otolith of Labrisomus 



