Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1861 



second dorsal spine; tip not reaching vent; pectoral broad at base, elon- 

 gate, some of the median rays apparently branched, the tip extending 

 beyond origin of anal. Vent close to origin of anal. Scales small, cycloid, 

 each with several concentric furrows ; scales 011 opercle, preopercle, and 

 subopercle; head otherwise scaleless. Lateral line broad, scaleless, with 

 skinny tubes, practically parallel with dorsal outline. (Goode & Bean.) 

 Gulf Stream off coasts of Rhode Island and North Carolina and off western 

 Florida ; also off Barbados in 93 to 209 fathoms, (parmatus, shielded, from 

 the large scales.) 



Setarches pannatus, GOODE, Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus. 1880, 480, young specimen, from the 

 " Lopholatilus grounds " in the Gulf Stream south of Rhode Island, at Fish Hawk 

 Station 876, lat. 39 57' N., long. 70 56' W., in 120 fathoms (Type, No. 28084); 

 GOODE & BEAN, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., x, No. 5, 213, 1883 ; JORDAN & GILBERT, Syn- 

 opsis, 682, 1883 ; GUNTHER, Challenger Report, xxii, 191887; GOODE & BEAN, Oceanic 

 Ichthyology, 264, fig. 249, 1896. 



Family CLXXVII. ANOPLOPOMATID^E. 

 (THE SKIL-FISHES.) 



This family is closely allied to the Hexagrammidce, differing chiefly in 

 the normal development of the nostrils, which are formed as in the Scor- 

 pamidw and as in fishes generally. The two known genera differ widely 

 from each other. Both are found in the North Pacific. 



ANOPLOPOMATIN^ : 



a. Dorsal fins widely separated ; anal fin with 3 spines. ANOPLOPOM A, 696. 



ERILEPIDIN/E : 



aa. Dorsal fin continuous, deeply notched; anal without distinct spines. 



ERILEPIS, 697. 



696. ANOPLOPOMA, Ayres. 



Anoplopoma, AYRKS, Proc. Cal. Ac. Nat. Sci. 1859, 27 (merlangus = fimbria) . 

 Scombrocottus, PETERS, Berliner Monatsher. 1872, 569 (salmoneus = fimbria) . 



Body elongate, little compressed, tapering into a very slender caudal 

 peduncle; head rather long, the snout somewhat tapering; mouth ter- 

 minal, moderate, the lower jaw included; maxillary very narrow, slipping 

 almost entirely under the preorbital ; teeth moderate, cardiform, those in 

 the lower jaw in a single series laterally, and in a narrow band in front; 

 upper jaw, vomer, and palatines each with a band of similar teeth; head 

 entirely scaly; no supraorbital flap; preopercle unarmed, its niembra- 

 naceous edge crenulate; gill membranes joined to the isthmus; body 

 entirely covered with minute ctenoid scales; lateral line single; dorsals 

 short, well separated, the first of slender, flexible spines ; second dorsal 

 shorter, similar to the anal, which is preceded by 3 weak spines; ven- 

 trals but little behind pectorals; caudal fin forked; peritoneum black; 

 pyloric caeca about 2, long and slender; gill rakers slender, few, not very 

 short ; nostrils normal, the posterior well developed. Two species known ; 

 large fishes, valued as food. (aVo7rAo, unarmed; Tt&^a, operculum.) 



