472 FISHES. ACANTHOPTEHYGII. 



terminated by fleshy and elongated processes. 10 or 12 inches 

 long. Inhabits Indian and American seas. Shaw, v. pi. 164. 



A. Commersonii, Cuv. Body entirely black, with a milk white round 

 spot on each side ; a long and slender filament with an elevated 

 tip above the eyes. A few inches long. Inhabits Indian seas. 

 Shaw, v. 387- 



A. Chironectes, Cuv. (L. variegaius, Shaw.) Body reddish, with 

 some black spots ; a long filament above the upper lip, terminated 

 by a very small fleshy mass. Lacep. i. pi. 16, fig. 2. 



A. marmoratus, Cuv. Body oval, slightly compressed, blackish above, 

 with bluish clouds or spots, whitish beneath and marbled ; dorsal 

 fin simple. 5 inches long. Pacific Ocean. Shaw, v. pi. 165. 



A. striatus, Cuv. Body compressed, yellowish brown, marked all 

 over, chiefly in a transverse direction, by very numerous and close- 

 ly placed narrow black streaks ; pectoral and ventral fins resem- 

 bling short arms ; a long filament dilated into an oval-shaped tip 

 on the top of the mouth, and beyond this two strong and thick 

 processes. 5 inches long. Inhabits Southern seas. Shaw, Nat. 

 Mis. v. pi. 175. 



A. hirsutus, Cuv. (JLophius, Lacep.) Body compressed laterally, 

 with scattered very small blackish spines ; upper lip extensible ; 

 a filament terminated by a small fleshy mass above the snout ; 

 two rays in the first dorsal fin, nineteen in the second. Inha- 

 bits seas of New Holland. An. Mus. iv. pi. 55. fig. 3. 



A. Icevis, Cuv. (Lopkius, Lacep.) Body compressed laterally, 

 smooth ; filament above the snout terminating in a slender point ; 

 two rays in the first dorsal fin, seventeen in the second. Inha- 

 bits seas of New Holland. An. Mus. pi. 55, fig. 4. 



Gen. 99. MALTHE, Cuv. Lophius, Lin. 

 Head extraordinarily broad and depressed ; eyes much before ; 

 mouth under the elongated and pointed snout, protractile ; 

 branchiae supported by six or seven rays, and opening on the 

 dorsal surface above the pectoral fins ; one soft dorsal fin ; 

 body rough with osseous tubercles ; cirri along the sides. 



M. vespertilio, Cuv. Ventral fins resembling feet and the pectorals 

 hands ; body reddish, tuberculated, the tubercles yellow ; above 

 the nostrils a cartilaginous filament with a dilated tip. 10 to 18 

 inches long. Inhabits S. American seas Shaw, v. pi. 163. 



FAMILY V. SCOMBEROIDES. 



This family are distinguished by their small scales, often imperceptible, except to- 

 wards the end of the lateral line, where they form sometimes a projecting ridge. In 

 others this carina is formed by the skin itself, independently of the size of the 

 scales, supported by the transverse processes of one or two vertebra?. The soft part 

 of the dorsal and anal fins is sometimes a little thickened before by the scales, but 

 never completely connected by them ; on the contrary, the membrane which unites 

 the rays behind is often very slender, and even wanting entirely in some genera, 

 when these rays, being then isolated, take the name of spurious fins. Cuvier divides 



