249 - 
Pamily Ateleopodidae 
Body elongate, with short trunk and long, compressed, tapering 
tail. Head rather large, with muciferous cavities. Eye with very small 
pupil. Mouth small, inferior or subterminal, protractile. Teeth small, 
villiform, in hands in upper or both .jaws, none on palate, Nostrils 2, 
just before eye. Erectile spine sometimes immediately behind eye. Gill 
opening wide, membranes united and narrowly joined to isthmus, with narrow 
free border. Gills 4, with short flat gill filaments, slit behind fourth 
gill arch. Gill rakers 7 to 10 short spinescent tubercles. No pseudobranchiae. 
Branchiostegals 6 to 9. Skeleton largely cartilaginous. No air bladder. 
Skin tender, more or less gelatinous, scaleless or partly covered with 
nonimbricate, extremely thin, variable scales. Lateral line present, 
inconspicuous, pores widely separated. Short spineless dorsal, rather close 
behind pectoral fin bases. Anal long, continuous with caudal, which 
homocercal. Pectoral well developed, lateral. Ventral jugular, reduced 
to stout filament or stiff flexible rod, simple or bifid at end and composed 
of 2 many jointed components of one ray which remains distinct and may 
separate from ®.ch other terminally. 
Analysis of genera 
• Dorsal rays 8 to 10; mouth moderate.—--- A. teleopus. 
Dorsal rays 3; mouth small. - 
— Parateleopus. 
