354 TROPICAL AND SOUTHERN FISHES 



The largest species of oar-fish., or " king of the herrings," grows to over twenty feet 

 in length. For the most part these curious fishes are known by stranded examples. 

 A small section of spiny-finned fishes is typified by the family 

 Lophiidce, of which the huge and ugly angler-fish, or sea-devil 

 (Lophius piscatorius), is a familiar British representative. These fishes resemble* 

 the star-gazers in enticing their prey within reach by means of lures ; but in their 

 case the lure is situated on the first spine of the dorsal fin, which is isolated and 

 placed well forwards, so that the whiplash-like structure, with a tassel at the 

 extremity, dangles above the enormous mouth. The teeth in the front of the jaws 

 are so arranged that they incline inwards as the victim enters the capacious trap, 

 but rise up and bar the exit if it attempts to escape. Owing to the pectoral fins 

 being attached to a sort of arm formed by the lengthening of certain bones, these 

 fishes, which may grow to between four and five feet in length, are able to walk to 



COFFER-FISH. 



a certain extent on the bed of the sea. Nearly all the numerous species inhabiting- 

 shallow or moderately deep water are provided with the above-mentioned angling- 

 apparatus — the ' illicium ' — which undoubtedly serves as a rod, line, and bait, 

 although the action is probably automatic. Certain stoutly built members of the 

 group are, however, denizens of deep water, and in these the fishing apparatus has 

 been modified into a rod with a bulb furnished with a phosphorescent terminal 

 portion, while the surrounding ' bait ' has likewise been specialised and augmented ; 

 and, in addition to all this, a lantern and worm-like lures are present. How 

 efficient must be this apparatus will be apparent to all who have witnessed salmon- 

 spearing by torchlight. 



coffer Fishes A strange and aberrant group of spiny-finned fishes is typically 



and Fiie-FisUes. represented by the coffer-fishes or trunk -fishes (Ostraciontida) and 

 file-fishes (Balistidce) of the tropical seas, the former of which are protected by a 

 complete bony panoply composed of large and for the most part hexagonal plates.. 



