RIBBON-FISHES, 
143 
; being in the same proportion to the breadth; 
' but then it is generally so much compressed, 
I that these creatures have acquired the popular 
! names of Riband-fish, Lath- or Deal-fish, &c, 
I The body, indeed, is often not thicker, except in 
|| its middle, than that of a sword ; and, being 
j| covered with the richest silver, and of great 
length, the undulating motion of these fishes in 
the sea, must be resplendent and beautiful beyond 
measure. But these, and all the wonders of the 
mighty deep, are almost hidden from the eye of 
I man. These meteoric hshes appear to live in the 
greatest depths ; and it is only at long intervals, 
f or after a succession of tempests, that a solitary 
individual is cast upon the shore, with its deli- 
* cate body torn and mutilated by the element, or 
by the rocks. Such may be truly said of nearly 
all the genera contained in the tribe, the only 
exception being those of Cepola and Ophidium^^ 
I which have a more compact and robust organi- 
zation, and habitually frequent the same moderate 
depths as the generality of edible fish.’’ 
i Genus Cepola. (Linn.) 
The Band-fishes proper are distinguished by 
having the body moderately lengthened, com- 
pressed, very gradually diminishing in height 
from the head to the tail ; the head short, 
rounded, the mouth opening .obliquely upwards ; 
the dorsal and anal fins very long, united to the 
I caudal ; all the spines of the dorsal fiexible ; pecto- 
* This genus, however, is by Cuvier arranged in the Order of 
Soft-finned Fishes, among the- Eels : by Prince Bonaparte, among the 
Cods. 
