Jordan and JEvermann. fishes of North America. 599 



partly coalescent. Light brownish on the back, with numerous brown 

 pigment spots on the sides ; abdomen black. (Giinther.) 



Giiuther described this genus and species from a specimen 3 inches 

 long, obtained south of the Phillipine Islands, in 500 fathoms. He had 

 previously obtained, in 1868, the specimen collected by Lowe at Magda- 

 leiia. The Albatross obtained a single specimen from station 2392, at a 

 depth of 724 fathoms. The capacity of this form for swallowing fishes 

 greater in size than itself appears to be as great as that of Chiasmodus. 

 (Goode & Bean.) (Named for its discoverer, Rev. R. T. Lowe, the his- 

 torian of the fishes of Madeira.) 



OmosutUs lou-ii, Gf NTHEK, Challenger Report, xxn, 201, pi. 52, figs, c, c', 1887, Philippine 

 Islands ; Magdalena; GOODE & BEAN, Oceanic Ichthyology, 122, fig. 150, 1895. 



Family LXXXIII. PARALEPIDID.E. 



Body elongate, somewhat compressed, formed much as in a Barracuda, 

 covered with cycloid scales of moderate or rather large size. Head long, 

 usually scaly on the sides. Mouth very large, lower jaw projecting. Pre- 

 maxillary not protractile, very long and slender, forming the entire margin 

 of upper jaw; maxillary long and slender, closely adherent to premaxil- 

 lary. Teeth rather strong, pointed, in single series on the jaws and pala- 

 tines; some of them on lower jaw and palatines sometimes very long and 

 fang-like, and most of them freely depressible. Opercular bones thin. 

 Pseudobranchise present. Gill membranes separate, free from the isth- 

 mus. Branchiostegals about 7. Gill rakers short, sharp, spine-like. Eye 

 large. Lateral line present, its scales usually enlarged. Dorsal fin short 

 and small, behind the middle of the body, nearly or quite over the ven- 

 trals; adipose fin present; anal fin low, rather long; caudal fin short, 

 narrow, forked; pectorals rather small, placed low. Pyloric caeca none. 

 No air bladder. Phosphorescent spots few or none. Genera 3 or 4, spe- 

 cies about 12 ; voracious fishes of the open seas' or the deep seas. 



PARALEPIN.E : 



aa. Body scaly; stomach not remarkably distensible; luminous spots usually present, but incon- 

 spicuous. 



b. Lower jaw with 3 to 5 very long fang-like teeth on each side; snout moderately pointed. 



Sums, 286. 

 bb. Lower jaw without distinct fang-like teeth. 



c. Ventrals inserted entirely behind dorsal, their distance from eye twice the distance 



from base of caudal; snout attenuate. AKCTOZENUS, 287. 



cc. Ventrala inserted below front of dorsal. PAHALEPIS, 288. 



286. SUDIS, Ratinesque. 



Sitdis, RAFINESQUE, Caratteri di Alcuni Nuovi Generi, etc., GO, 1810, (hyalina). 



Body elongate, somewhat compressed, with cycloid scales of moderate 

 size. Head long, scaly on the sides. Mouth very large, the lower jaw 

 projecting, the cleft turned upward toward its end. Premaxillary very 

 long and slender, forming the entire upper margin of the upper jaw; 

 maxillary long and slender, closely adherent to the premaxillary. Teeth 

 rather strong, pointed, in single series on the jaws and palatines, 3 to 5 

 of them on lower jaw very long and fang-like or dagger-shaped ; most of 



