474 FISHES. 



or covered with minute spines ; generally with tentacles. The 

 spinous dorsal is reduced to three isolated spines, the anterior 

 of which is modified into a tentacle, situated above the snout. 

 The soft dorsal of moderate length ; anal short. Ventrals 

 present. 



The fishes of this genus are pelagic, freq['uently met with in 

 mid-ocean between the tropics, especially in parts of the sea 

 with floating vegetation ; not rarely individuals are found far 

 from their native latitudes, carried by currents to the coasts 

 of Norway and New Zealand. Their power of swimming is 

 most imperfect. When near the coast they conceal them- 

 selves between corals, stones, or fucus, holding on to the 

 ground by means of their arm-like pectoral fins. Their 

 coloration is so similar to their surroundings that it is hardly 

 possible to distinguish the fish from a stone or coral over- 

 grown with vegetation. Their way of attracting and seizing 

 their prey is evidently the same as in the other fishes of this 

 family. The extraordinary range of some of the species which 

 inbabit the Atlantic as well as the Indo- Pacific Oceans, is the 

 consequence of their habit of attaching themselves to floating 

 objects. Almost all the species are highly coloured, but the 

 pattern of the various colours varies exceedingly. These 

 fishes do not attain to any considerable size, and probably, 

 never exceed a length of ten inches. A great number of 

 species have been distinguished by ichthyologists, but pro- 

 bably not more than twenty are known at present. The 

 species figured on p. 295 {A. caudomaculatus) is common 

 in the Eed Sea, and probably occurs in other parts of the 

 Indian Ocean. 



Brachionichthys and Saccarius are allied genera from South 

 Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. 



Chaunax. — Head very large, depressed ; cleft of the mouth 

 wide, sub- vertical ; eye small ; rasp-like teeth in the jaws and 

 palate. Skin covered with minute spines. The spinous dorsal 



