THE ORDERS OF TELEOSTOMOUS FISHES 471 



of fishes is, indeed, now proved to be very old, dating back at 

 least to the beginning of the Cretaceous period, during which 

 it attained its maximum development." The Cretaceous genus 

 Portheus attained gigantic size (4 . 7 m.) . Like so many other 

 relics of Cretaceous fish faunas, the nearest living representative 

 of this family (Chirocentrus) is found in the Indian Ocean and 

 the seas of China and Japan. 



The true Clupeoid fishes (Herrings, Anchovies, etc.) lead back 

 through the genus Thrissopater of the Middle Cretaceous to 

 the Elopidae. The Anchovies (Engraulinas) may be derived from 

 Spaniodon of the Upper Cretaceous, the Milk-fishes (Chaninse) 

 from Prochanos of the Cretaceous, the Clupeinae from Pseudo- 

 beryx and several other genera from the Upper Cretaceous. 

 Certain Cretaceous Clupeoids, namely, the Ctenothrissidae, were 

 formerly allocated with the spiny-finned Berycidae (see p. 501), 

 on account of the forward displacement of the pelvic fins, and 

 of the spiny or non-articulated character of the four anterior rays 

 of the dorsal; but Boulenger points out that in the small pre- 

 maxillaries and enlarged maxillaries they agree with the Mala- 

 copterygii, whilst in the forward position of the ventrals they are 

 " most nearly approached by the Pantodontidae " (Boulenger). 



The Salmonidae and their allies differ from the Clupeidae 

 chiefly in (1) the presence of a small adipose fin, (2) in the con- 

 tact between the supraoccipital and the frontals, and (3) in the 

 vestigial condition of the oviducts, the ova (as in the Osteo- 

 glossidas, Hyodontidae) falling into the cavity of the abdomen 

 before exclusion (Boulenger) ; but their exact relationships are 

 not known. They are believed by Boulenger to be of "compara- 

 tively recent age, no remains older than Miocene . . . being 

 certainly referable to this family." 



The Alepocephalidae, deep-sea Clupeoids, lacking an adipose 

 dorsal, and with the rayed fin very far back. 



The Stomiatidae, aberrant deep-sea forms paralleling 

 the Scopeloids, but with the maxillary instead of the premax- 

 illary greatly enlarged, the pectoral fins often disappearing, 

 while the pelvic fins are large. Extremely variable in body 

 form, including long, eel-like forms, and short, Beryx-like forms. 



The Gonorhynchidse are believed by A. S. Woodward 



