ORDER TELEOSTEI. IOO7 



thoracic, and generally have five soft rays. Cottus itself occurs in 

 the Upper Miocene of (Eningen ; while the Upper Eocene of Aix 

 yields the extinct Lepidocottus, distinguished by its ctenoid scales. 

 Trigla occurs in the European Tertiaries. 



Family Trachinid^e. — This family comprises a number of genera 

 of small marine Fishes distributed over the greater part of the world, 

 in which the body is long and slender, and may or may not have 

 scales. The dorsal fin may be either single or divided, but its soft 

 portion is always much longer than the spinous. To this family 

 may probably be referred the naked Callipteryx, from the Middle 

 Eocene of Monte Bolca ; while Trachi?iopsis, of the Upper Tertiary 

 of Spain, is considered to be allied to the existing Trachinus — a 

 third extinct genus being Pseudoeliginus, of the Sicilian Miocene. 



Family ScombridjE. — The Scombridce, typically represented by 

 the Mackerels (Scomber), but also comprising other pelagic Fishes, 

 are characterised by the oblong and scarcely compressed body, the 

 well-developed dentition, the two dorsal fins, the general presence of 

 finlets in the posterior part of the body, and the thoracic position of 

 the pelvic fins, which have one spine and five rays. In the Miocene 

 and Eocene of Europe, we meet with species of the existing genera 

 Scomber (Mackerel), Thynnus (Tunny), and Cybium, one Lower 

 Miocene species of the latter having been described under the 

 name of Sco??iberodon. Curiously enough, the specialised genus 

 Echeneis (Sucking-fishes) is found in the Lower Eocene of Glarus. 

 Dictyodus (Sphyrcenodus) is an extinct genus from the Lower Eocene 

 of England and the Lower Miocene of Belgium, characterised by 

 the strong development of its dentition, and its single row of conical 

 palatine teeth. Other extinct genera are Palimphyes and Isurus, 

 of the Lower Eocene of Glarus, and Orcynus, from the Middle 

 Eocene of Monte Bolca. The existing Pelamys has been recorded 

 from the Lower Miocene of Belgium. 



Family Corypilenid^. — Another pelagic family allied to the 

 preceding is represented by the well-known Coryphaenas, popularly 

 known by the misnomer of Dolphins. The body is compressed ; 

 the teeth, if present, are small and conical ; and there is a long un- 

 divided dorsal fin, without a distinct spinous portion. The existing 

 genus Mene (Gastrocnemius) is found in the Middle Eocene of Monte 

 Bolca ; while the family is also represented by the extinct Goniogna- 

 thus, of the London Clay. 



Family Cyttid^e. — The Dories have the body very deep and 

 much compressed, with the dorsal fin divided, and its spinous por- 

 tion taller than the soft part, and the pelvic fins thoracic. They 

 are represented by a species of the existing genus Zeus, in the Mio- 

 cene of Sicily, and also by the extinct Cyttoides, of the Lower Eocene 

 of Glarus. 



