294 GEOGRAPHICAL AITD GEOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



and Antarctic genus Lycodes. The gadoids are in both regions 

 accompanied by the parasitic hag (Myxine). 



The shore fishes of the north temperate sea are largely identi- 

 cal in their general types in both the Atlantic and Pacific basins, 

 as well as on opposite sides of these basins. Thus, of the fishes 

 frequenting the British seas we find, among other genera, the fol- 

 lowing types also represented on the east coast of America : the 

 bass (Labrax), sea-perch (Serranus), porgy (Pagrus), bull-head (Cot- 

 tus), angler (Lophius), wolf-fish (Anarrichas), Zoarces, cod (Gadus), 

 hake (Merlucius), ling (Molva), and rockling (Motella) ; and among 

 physostomes the smelt (Osmerus), herring (Clupea), and conger. 

 The surmullets (Mullus), gurnards (Trigla), John Dorys (Zeus), and 

 some of the breams are wanting, or are but rarely met with.* The 

 cartilaginous fishes show as common to the East and West Atlantic 

 the "hounds" (Mustelus), rays, sting-rays (Trygon), and the elec- 

 tric rays (Torpedo) ; the true dog-fishes (Scyllium) appear to be 

 wanting on the East American coast, and Chimsera has thus far 

 been found only in deep water. 



Most of the genera of British fishes also frequent the Mediter- 

 ranean Sea, whose fauna eSects a passage to the fauna of the 

 equatorial zone. The number of peculiar genera is very limited. 

 Among the newly appearing forms are the beryces (Beryx), star- 

 gazers (Uranoscopus), umbrines (Umbrina), barracudas (Sphyrssna), 

 horse-mackerels (Caranx), and sea-horses (Hippocampus), members 

 of the (more southerly) American fauna as well (elements borrowed 

 from the fauna of the West Indies). The flat fishes— turbots, 

 plaices, flounders, soles (Rhombus, Pleuronectes, Solea, &c.) — ex- 

 hibit an increased development, while the gadoids rapidly diminish 

 in numbers. A most remarkable correspondence exists between 

 the Mediterranean fishes and those of the Japanese province — i. e., 

 the coast of Asia between the thirtieth and thirty-seventh parallels 

 of latitude ; indeed, viewed from a generic standpoint, this corre- 

 spondence may be almost said to amount to identity. More than 

 one-half of all the generic types represented are fishes of the south 

 of Europe, and in many cases even the species are identical vrith 



* The occurrence of Trigla cuculus on the American coast is considered 

 very doubtful hy Jordan and Gilbert ; on the other hand, MuUus harbatuB, 

 supposed to he absent, has during late years been reported from Pensaoola, 

 Florida, and Wood's Holl, Massachusetts. (Smith's " Misc. Coll.," 1888.) 



