474 PISCES SUB- CLASS IILTELEOSTOML 



comprise five soft rays and a single spine. The mouth is armed with small 

 conical teeth. In regard to the number of vertebrae and the preopercular 

 bone, the family agrees generally with those that immediately precede, but 

 Pseudochromis is stated to possess a stay connecting the bone mentioned 

 with the orbit. Most of the members of the family are small fishes living 

 near the bottom of shallow seas; and all are carnivorous. The group is 

 divided into several sub-families, the first of which is typified by the afore- 

 said star-gazers, which are ugly-looking fishes, easily recognised by the small 

 mobile eyes being situated on the front of the head arid looking upwards, 

 the cleft of the mouth having likewise an upward direction ; the lateral line 

 being uninterrupted, and the caudal fin more or less rounded. On the other 

 hand, in the weavers (Trachinus) of which the common English species is 

 known to fishermen by the name of sting-bull the eyes retain to a greater 

 or less extent the normal lateral position ; the dorsal fin being either single 

 or divided. The members of this genus are found in European waters, and 

 on the Pacific coast of South America, although not on the Atlantic side. 

 Wounds inflicted by the spines of the dorsal fin are dangerous on account of 

 being injected with the secretion from a neighbouring poison-gland. Mention 

 must be made of the large and handsomely-coloured tile-fish (Lopholatilus) of 

 the American North Atlantic, not only on account of its being an exception 

 among the family from its size and deep-water habitat, but likewise from the 

 fact of having been met with in great profusion a few years ago, and then 

 suddenly disappearing. It is remarkable for possessing a small, pointed 

 fatty fin in front of the long single dorsal. 



Since the first of the two families now to be considered contains only the 

 tropical genus Malacanthus, it may be dismissed with the bare mention that 

 it is characterised by the possession of not more than ten 

 Families thoracic and fourteen caudal vertebrae, and the great length 

 Malacanthida of the single dorsal and anal fins. Almost equally brief must 

 and Batrachidce. be our reference to the frog- fishes (Balrachidw], which in- 

 clude two genera in addition to the typical Balrachns, and 

 are for the most part small fishes of carnivorous habits frequenting tropical 

 coasts. They have the head broad and thick, with the eyes more or less in- 

 clined upwards; the long body compressed posteriorly; and either a coating 

 of small scales or a bare skin. They have small or medium-sized conical 

 teeth ; and there is no connection between the orbit and the preopercular. 

 There are only two or three spines in the first dorsal, but the soft dorsal and 

 anal are elongated arid similar; while the pelvic fins are jugular in position 

 and furnished with a pair of soft rays, and the pectorals are not produced. 

 Many of the species are poisonous, having a gland situated at. the base of the 

 pectoral fin, from which a noxious fluid is poured forth ; the genus Tliallas- 

 sophryne, of the Pacific coast of Central America, being stated to rival many 

 of the poisonous snakes in its venom. 



The familiar but hideous angler-fish (Lophius piscatorius) of the British 



coasts typifies a somewhat extensive family belonging to the section Cotto- 



Scombriformes, and possessing the following distinctive 



Family features. In these fishes the head and fore-part of the body 



Lophiidce. are enlarged and covered with a naked skin, and the spinous 



dorsal fin is placed very far forwards, and consists of either a 



fewmore or less isolated spines, or is modified into tentacles, while in some cases 



it is altogether wanting. The pelvic fins which may be wanting comprise 



four or five rays, and are jugular in position, and the pectoral fins are sup- 



