BERYCOPSIS. 5 



Horwm and Localitij. — Probably zone of Uuladcr snbglobosns : Washington, 

 Sussex. 



Fa III ill/ Stkomateid.e. 



The Cretaceous genera provisionally assigned to this family are primitive 

 Scoml)roid fishes of uncertain affinity. 



Genus BERYCOPSIS, Dixon. 



' Berycopsis, F. Dixon, Geol. Sussex, 1850, p. 372. 



Stenostoma, F. Dixon, ibid., 1850, p. 373. 



Generic CJutracfrrs. — Trunk deepened and much laterally compressed. Cleft of 

 mouth small and oblique, with minute clustered teeth ; maxilla expanded behind, 

 with relatively very large posterior supramaxilla ; circumorbital plates small, 

 except the foremost (antorbital), which is much expanded. Vertebrae about twelve 

 in the abdominal, eighteen in the caudal region. Pectoral fins small and delicate ; 

 pelvic fins, with relatively large spine, inserted slightly behind the pectoral pair ; 

 dorsal and anal fins with a few very stout anterior spines, which gradually lengthen 

 and are closely pressed together ; caudal fin forked. Scales more or less feebly 

 rugose and pectinated or ctenoid, extending over the operculum, occipital region, 

 and cheek ; none enlarged or thickened. Lateral line inconspicuous. 



Type SjJecies. — Berijcopisis elegans, from the English Chalk. 



Beniarhs. — This genus is most closely related to Oinosoma and Plati/connus irom. 

 the Upper Cretaceous of the Lebanon and Westphalia. Pi/cnosterlnx, from the 

 Lebanon, may also perhaps prove to be an allied form when it is better known. 

 Omosoma is distinguished by its cycloid scales, which seem to be less deepened on 

 the flank than those of Berycopsis ; while Platycormus appears to have about four 

 more vertebrge and a much smaller pelvic fin-spine than the latter genus. 



L Berycopsis elegans, Dixon. Plate I; Plate II, fig. 1 ; Text-figure 2. 



1850. Berycopsis elegans, F. Dixon, Geol. Sussex, p. 372, pi. xxxv, fig. 8. 



1888. Berycopsis elegans, A. S. Woodward, Proc. Geol. Assoc, vol. x, p. 328. 



1901. Berycopsis elegans, A. S. Woodward, Catal. Foss. Fishes B. M., pt. iv, p. 423. 



"^'l/P''- — Imperfect head and trunk from zone of Hohisfcr suhglohosus ; Willett 

 Collection, Brighton Museum. 



Sj^ecific Characters. — The type species attaining a length of about 80 cm. 

 Length of head with o])ercular apparatus considerably exceeding two-thirds the 



