1701 
Family MYCTOPHIDAE 
Body oblong or tapering behind, more or less com¬ 
pressed. Caudal peduncle deep or slender. Head usually 
short, compressed. Snout usually short, blunt, obtuse. 
Eye large, often increases in size with age. Mouth large 
jaws usually equal or lower on slightly protruding, Pre- 
maxillaries mostly long. Maxillary well developed, slender 
or expanded terminally. Teeth villiform, in bands in jaws, 
on palatines, pterygoids and tongue. Gill rakers lanceolate, 
seldom rudimentary. Gill membranes separate, free. Pseudo¬ 
branchiae well developed. Branchiostegals 8 to 10. Air 
bladder small. Intestine short. Body covered with cycloid 
scales, sometimes spinescent. Caudal base scaly, sometimes 
most of fins scaly. Lateral line usually developed, complete, 
sometimes scales in its course enlarged. Luminous spots, or 
photophores, usually regularly or definitely arranged along 
lower sides of head and body as 2 or 3 supraanals, 1 or 2 
mediolaterals and precuadals always 2 to 4. Dorsal fin entire 
ly before anal, overlapping little or none. Adipose fin devel 
oped. Caudal forked or deeply emarginate. Pectoral well 
developed. Ventral with 8 rays, below or slightly advanced 
from dorsal origin. 
