1087 . 
Family Trachipteridae 
Body greatly elongated, band like. Head short. Eye large, 
lateral. Mouth rather small, terminal, very protractile. Teeth 
weak, simple. Opercles unarmed. Gill membranes separate, free from 
isthmus. Gills 4, slit behind fourth. Pseudobranchiae well devel¬ 
oped, in pouch formed by fold of mucous membrane. Branchiostegals 8. 
Lower pharyngeels toothless. No air bladder. Pyloric coeca very num- 
eious. soft, muscles little coherent, /ertebra© numerous, 
body naked, skin smooth or prickly. Lateral line present, axial on 
side. Dorsal single, extends from head to tail, rays all simple, not 
articulated or branched, though soft, fragile or flexible. No,anal. 
Caudal rudimentary or in two parts, upper larger and fan like, directed 
obliquely upward from slender tips of tail. Pectorals short. Ventrals 
thoracic, rays elongate, never over 7 to 9, often reduced or absent 
with age# Vent median® 
fishes* irequently of large sis©, bathypelagic in most wann 
seas# Owing to their extreme fragility specimens are rare in collections# 
Called King of the Herrings® 
Analysis of Genera 
Al Caudal present; ventral rays 6 to 9# 
2 
a# Caudal absent; ventral reduced to single elongated ray. 
us# 
