CLASS V. PISCES: ORDEE 3. TELEOSTEA. 
461 
•v. 
THE HALIBUT. 
species, sometimes measuring seven or eiglit feet in length, and weighing five or six hundred 
pounds. It feeds close to the 
ground on other flat-fish and va- 
rious Crustacea. It is abundant 
in the northern seas on both sides 
of the Atlantic ; the flesh is firm 
but dry, and has little flavor ; 
the head and fins are the best 
parts. This fish is common in 
the markets of Boston, New 
York, &c. The Greenlanders 
eat it both fresh and dried; 
the inhabitants of the Orkneys obtain from it a large quantity of oil. 
THE PIIYSOSTOMATA. 
We now come to the last, but still a very extensive division of Teleostea. The term Pliyso- 
stomatcL is compounded of the Greek phusa, a bladder, and stonia, the mouth, and alludes to an 
important and distinguishing characteristic, which is, that in all the species the air-bladder is 
connected with the pharynx by a sort of duct. Most of the group are furnished with a com- 
plete series of fins, which are always entirely composed of soft rays, with the exception of the 
first ray in the dorsal, anal, and pectoral fins, which are sometimes spinous. The ventral fins 
are sometimes wanting ; when present, they are always abdominal in position — that is to say, 
they are situated on the ventral region, behind the pectorals. There is never more than one 
rayed dorsal fin ; but behind this there is occasionally a second adipose fin. The skin is some- 
times naked, and sometimes more or less covered with bony plates ; in most cases, however, it is 
thickly clothed with scales, which always'exhibit the cycloid character. The species are exceed- 
ingly numerous, and inhabit both salt and fresh waters. They include among them some of the 
most important of the fishes that are sought for by man as food, and also the only species of this 
order which possess electrical powers. We shall describe them under the following heads : the 
ClupeidcB^ Scopelidm, SalmonidcB^ Galaxiidce, Esncidm^ Mormyridm^ Cyprinidce., Pceciliidm, 
Characinida;^ Siluridoe, Loricariidce^ Amblyopsidce^ Murcenidce, Gymnoiidce, and Symhranchidce. 
The three last embrace various kinds of Eels, and are called Apodal or Footless Fishes^ as they 
have no ventral fins ; the others are called Abdominal Fishes, as their ventral fins are placed on 
the belly behind the pectorals. 
THE CLUPEID^. 
The fishes of this family are all covered with large thin scales ; the mouth is wide, the dorsal 
fin large, and there is no adipose fin. It includes some of the most important of all fishes in an 
economical point of view. 
Genus CLUPEA : Clupea, includes the HERRiNa, C. harengus, abundant in European and 
American waters. It is twelve or thir- 
teen inches long; feeds on various 
small fishes, including j^oung herrings ; 
spawns- near the first of November ; the 
fishing-seasonbegins two or three months 
earlier, drift-nets being used by the fish- 
ermen. 
From the statements of several ob- 
servers, it appears that the Herrings inhabit the European as well as the American seas at all 
seasons, keeping in deep water during the Avinter and spring months, and that the appearance of 
the vast shoals at particular epochs, Avhich has given rise to the idea of their performing long 
migrations, is due only to their seeking the shallow waters for the deposition of their spawn. 
During their migrations for this purpose they swim close to the surface of the water, and so 
THE HEKRING. 
