884 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



projecting, the anterior teeth in upper jaw very long, canine-like. Scales 

 minute or obsolete. Spinous dorsal very long, of about 30 spines ; soft 

 dorsal low, but with a distinct lobe, similar to anal and both followed by 



5 to 7 finlets. Veiitrals I, 5, but extremely minute. Caudal fin rather 

 small, well forked. Lateral line single, arched anteriorly. Vertebrae 

 28 -|-25=:53. Air bladder present. Young having the " Dicrotus" form, 

 with large head, spinous ventrals, and spinigerous preopercle. Deep sea. 

 (Gempylus, an old name of some Scombroid fish.) 



1273. GEMPYLUS SERPENS, Cuvier & Valenciennes. 



HeadSi; depth 17. D. XXX-1, 13-V : A. II-1, 11-VII ; V. I, 5 ; vertebra 

 28 + 25 = 53. Eye 7 in head. Maxillary nearly reaching front of pupil. 

 Each jaw with a series of compressed, triangular, trenchant teeth; about 



6 long canines in front of jaws, some of these with an emargination, as in 

 Sphyrcena'j palatines with a row of small teeth, none on vomer ; usually 

 a single canine at tip of lower jaw. Lateral line straight except anteriorly. 

 Dorsal spines slender ; soft dorsal and anal small, with numerous finlets. 

 Pectorals pointed, rather long; ventrals minute. Color dark metallic 

 blue. Flesh firm. Deep seas; a rare fish, widely distributed, reaching a 

 length of 3 feet or more, (serpens, a snake.) 



Gempylus serpens, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss., VHI, 207, 1831, Martinique. 



Gempylus serpens, GUNTHER, Cat., n, 350, I860. 



Gempylus coluber, CUVIEH & VALENCIENNES, I. c., 211, Otaiti. 



Gempylus ophidianus, POEY, Memorias, n, 246, 1861, Cuba. 



Lemnisoma tJiyrsitoides, LESSON, Voyage Coquille, 160, 1826. 



Gempylus serpens, GOODE & BEAN, Oceanic Ichth., 202, 1895. 



Family CXX. LEPIDOPID^. 



Body elongate, band-shaped, scaleless ; dorsal long, continuous or sub- 

 continuous, without distinct lobe to the soft dorsal ; anal comparatively 

 short, preceded by a considerable number of short detached spines ; no fin- 

 lets; caudalsmall, but distinct andforked ; pectorals with some of the lower 

 rays longest ; ventrals rudimentary or absent ; a spine or scute, or pair of 

 scutes behind the vent. Lateral line conspicuous. Mouth large, the 

 lower jaw projecting. Teeth very strong, premaxillaries not protractile, 

 lanceolate in jaws, more or less larger in front ; no teeth in palatines. 

 Air bladder present. Gill membranes separate, free from the isthmus; 

 gills 4, with a slit behind the fourth. Abdominal and caudal vertebraB 

 numerous, 100 or more. Pyloric coeca in large numbers. Three genera, 

 and about 5 species ; similar to the Trichiuridce in habit, but retaining the 

 caudal fin of the Gempylidce. This group represents successive steps by 

 which the muscular and free-swimming mackerels become transformed to 

 band-shaped pelagic surface fishes with many vertebrae. The fins and 

 tail become degenerate, the teeth more and more highly specialized. 

 The retention of the rudimentary caudal furnishes a slender character for 

 the distinction of Lepidopidce as a family from Trichiuridce. (Lepidopodidce, 

 Gill, Standard Natural History, m, 206, 1885.) 



