TKACHINID^. 463 



the fish. They are inactive fishes, generally lying hidden at 

 the bottom between stones, watching for their prey. The 

 delicate filament attached to the bottom of their mouth, and 

 playing in front of it in the current of water which passes 

 through the mouth, serves to lure small animals withia reach 

 of the fish. Eleven species are known from the Indo-Pacific 

 and Atlantic, and one ( U. scaler) from the Mediterranean ; 

 they attain rarely a length of twelve inches. 



Leptoscopus. — Form of the head as in CraMOscopMS, but entirely 

 covered with a thin skin. Scales small, cycloid. One continuous 

 dorsal ; veutrals jugular ; pectoral rays branched. Villiform 

 teeth in both jaws, on the vomer and palatine bones ; canines 

 none. No oral filament. Gill-cover unarmed. 



Fig. 206. — Leptoscopus inacropygus. 



Leptoscopus macropyffus, not rare on the coast of l^ew 

 Zealand. 



Other genera of Stare-gazers are Agnus from the Atlantic 

 coasts of North America ; Anevia from the Indian Ocean and 

 New Zealand ; and Kathetostoma from Australia and New 

 Zealand. 



2. In the Teachinina the eyes are more or less lateral ; the 

 lateral line is continuous ; and the intermaxillary without a 

 larger tooth on' its posterior portion. 



Teachinus. — Cleft of the mouth very oblique ; eye lateral, 

 but directed upwards. Scales very small, cycloid. Two dorsal 

 fins, the first short, with six or seven spines ; ventrals jugular ; 

 the lower pectoral rays simple. ViUiform teeth in the jaws, on 

 the vomer and palatine bones. Prseorbital and prseoperculum 

 armed. 



