chap, xx.] FISHES. 435 



Family 38.— MUGILID.E. (3 Genera, 78 Species.) 



" Fresh-water and marine fishes, with oblong compressed 

 bodies, cycloid scales, and small mouths, often without teeth." 



Distribution. — Coasts and fresh waters of all temperate and 

 tropical regions. 



Mugil (66 sp.) is mostly marine, and is very widely distri- 

 buted ; several species (Grey Mullets) occur on the British 

 coasts. Agonostoma (9 sp.) is confined to the fresh waters of 

 the West Indies, Central America, New Zealand, Australia, 

 Celebes, and the Comoro Islands. Myxus (3 sp.) is marine, and 

 occurs both in the Atlantic and Pacific. 



Family 39.— OPHIOCEPHALID^E. (2 Genera, 26 Species.) 



"Fresh-water fishes, with elongate subcylindrical scaled bodies; 

 often leaving the water for a considerable time." 



Distribution. — Eivers of the Oriental region: — India, Ceylon, 

 China, Malay Islands to Philippines and Borneo. 



Family 40.— TPJCHONOTHLE. (2 Genera, 2 Species.) 



" Marine carnivorous fishes, with elongate subcylindrical 

 bodies, cycloid scales, and eyes directed upwards." 



Distribution. — Coasts of Celebes, Ceram, and New Zealand. 



Family 41.— CEPOLID^E. (1 Genus, 7 Species.) 



" Marine fishes, with very long, compressed, band-like bodies, 

 covered with small cycloid scales." 



Distribution. — Temperate seas of Western Europe and East- 

 ern Asia, and one species in the Malayan Seas. 



Cepola rubescens (the Band fish) ranges from Scotland to the 

 Mediterranean. All the other species but one are from Japan. 



