272 PLECTOGNATHI. 



Genns II — Oethagoeiscus, Bl. Schn. 



Cephalus, Shaw. Tympanomium, Diplanchias, Tremaiopsis, and Ozodura, 

 RaBZiini. Maiizania, Nardo. Fendalion, Guilding. 



Body short and compressed, covered with, a rough or else witha smooth tessellated skin 

 which cannot he distended with air: tail portion of the body very short, and truncated. 

 Jaws without any median suture. Vertical fins more or less confluent. Ventrals 

 absent. No pelvic hones. No air-bladder. An accessory opercular gill. 



The young of these fishes or Ortliagoriscus (" a little pig," which name it has 

 obtained from its grunting), undergo very great changes in form before they 

 attain that which is found in the adult, insomuch that they have been placed in 

 a distinct family. The species forming this genus have been thus subdivided : — 



A. Orthagoriscus.—^'kiTL rough. 



B. Ranzania. — Skin smooth and tessellated. 



Liitken, however, considers these fish should be in two distinct genera, for 

 besides other characteristics, one has an osseous, the other a cartilaginous skeleton. 



Geographical distribution. — Cosmopolitan and pelagic but frequently approach- 

 ing the shore, where they are seen basking or sleeping on the surface of the sea. 

 They attain a large size, and oil can be obtained from their livers. 



A. Shin rough {Orthagoriscus). 

 Orthagoriscus mola, Plate CXLVIII. 



Orthagoriscus s. Luna piscis. Rondel, p. 424; Gesner, p. 640. Mola, Salv. 

 fol. 155 ; Aldrov. lib. iii, c. 45, p. 410. Mola SaJviani, Willughby, p. 151, t. 1 26 ; 

 Jonston, lib. i, tit. i, cap. 3, t. ix, f . 2 ; Ray, Pise. p. 51 ; Borlase, Cornwall, p. 267, 

 t. xxvi, f. 7; Briin. Piso. Mass. p. 8. Ostracion, sp. Artedi, Synon. p. 83, no. 4, 

 Gen. p. 61, no. 22 ; Gronov. Zooph. nos. 185 and 186. Short diodon. Pennant, 

 Brit. Zool. (Ed. 1776) iii, p. 129, pi. xix (Ed. 1812) iii, p. 172, pi. xxii. Mole, 

 Duhamel, Peches, ii, sect, ix, p. 306, pi. xxiii. 



Teirodon inula, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 412; Gmel. Linn. p. 1447; Lacep. i, 

 p. 509 ; Bonnaterre, Ency. Ich. p. 25, pi. xvii, f. 54 ; Donovan, Brit. Pishes, ii, 



pi. XXV. 



hlodon mola, Pallas, Spec. Fas. viii, p. 39, t. iv, f. 7 ; Bloch, t. cxxviii. 



Orthagoriscus mola, Bl. Schn. p. 510; Flem. Brit. An. p. 175; Jenyns, 

 Manual, p. 490; W. 0. Bellingham, Mag. Nat. Hist. 1840 (2) iv, p. 235; 

 Schlegel, Fauna Japon. Poiss. p. 288, t. 127, and De Dieren Neder. p. 182; 

 Tarrell, Brit. Fish. (ed. 1) ii, p. 350, c. fig. (ed. 2) ii, p. 462 (ed. 3) ii, p. 432 ; 

 Parnell, Wern. Mem. vii, p. 401; Storer,' Mass. Reports, p. 170, pi. iii, f. 1, 

 and Mem. Amer. Acad, viii, p. 420, pi. xxxiv, f . 2 ; Templeton, Mag. Nat. Hist. 

 1837 (2), i, p. 413 ; De Kay, New York Fauna, Pish, p. 331, pi. lix, f. 193 ; Bennett, 

 Whaling Voyage, ii, p. 262 ; Kroyer, Danm. Fiske, iii, p. 732; Nilss. Skand. Fauna, 

 iv, p. t)l)7 ; Parlby, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1849, p. 6; Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 329; 

 Costa, Fauna Nap. Pesc. tav. Ixiii, Ixiv ; White, Catal. p. 117; Thompson, Nat. 

 Hist. Ireland, iv, p. 243 ; Klunzinger, Fisch. Rothen Meeres, p. 648 ; Giinther, 

 Catal. viii, p. 317 ; Wiuther, Pro. Ich. Dan. Mar. ii, p. 54 ; Andrews, Proc. Dub. 

 Soc. 1871, vi, pi. ii ; Canest. Faun. Ital. p. 148 ; Malm, Fauna, p. 699 ; Collett, 

 Norges Fisk. p. 203 ; Moreau, Poiss. de la France, ii, p. 74 ; Giglioli, Catal. Pesc. 

 Ital. p. 60. 



Orthragoriscus fasciatus, Bl. Schn. p. 511. 



Tetrodon mola, Gmel. Linn. p. 1447. 



