416 



SPINY-FINNED GROUP. 



which Trachypterua has well-developed pectoral fins, while Stylophorus has the 

 tail produced into an exceedingly long filament ; Regalecus being distinguished by 

 the reduction of the pelvic fins to a pair of long filaments with dilated extremities, 

 and the small size or rudimentary condition of the caudal. Our figured example 

 (R. banksi) belongs to the third genus, and has the body of considerable relative 

 depth, but in a much smaller Indian form (R. russelli) the body is so slender as 

 to have a rod-like appearance. Banks's ribbon-fish appears to be only known from 

 specimens cast ashore on the British coast ; the first of these having been stranded 

 at Whitby in January 1759, since which date only fifteen other examples were 



BANKS'S RIBBON-FISH ( r V nat. size). 



recorded up to 1878. All these fishes are, indeed, known almost entirely from 

 examples found in a dead or dying condition on the surface of the ocean, or cast 

 ashore by the waves. In this state the whole of their tissues are so disintegrated 

 and broken that the body can scarcely be lifted whole from the water, and it is 

 thus evident that ribbon-fishes are inhabitants of the lower strata of the ocean, 

 although at what precise level they live has not yet been ascertained. They are 

 found in all seas, but are mostly of very rare occurrence on the surface, the single 

 representative of the genus Stylophorus being only known by one example 

 captured in the early part of this century near Cuba ; while the same is the case 

 with regard to Russell's ribbon-fish from Madras. That the young are also deep- 



