As in the arctic Fauna, Chondropterygians are scarce, and represented by Acanthias vulgaris and species of Raja. Holocephali have not yet been found so far south, but Callorhynchus, which is not uncommon near the northern boundary of this fauna, will prove to extend into it.
As to Acanthopterygians, Cataphracti and Scorpænidæ are represented as in the arctic Fauna, two of the genera (Sebastes and Agonus) being identical. The Cottidæ are replaced by six genera of Trachinidæ, remarkably similar in form to arctic types; but Discoboli and the characteristic Arctic Blennioids are absent.
Gadoid Fishes reappear, but are less developed; as usual they are accompanied by Myxine. The reappearance of so specialised a genus as Lycodes is most remarkable. Flat-fishes are scarce as in the North, and belong to peculiar genera.
Physostomes are probably not entirely absent, but hitherto none have been met with so far south. Lophobranchs are scarce, as in the Arctic zone; however, it is noteworthy that a peculiar genus, with persistent embryonic characters (Protocampus), is rather common on the shores of the Falkland Islands.
The following are the genera known from this zone. Those with a single asterisk (*) are known to extend into the Temperate zone, but not beyond it; those with a double asterisk (**) are limited to the Antarctic shores:—
| Magelhæn’s and Falkland. | Kerguelen. | |
| Acanthias vulgaris | 1 | — |
| Raja | 1 | 2 |
| Psammobatis | 1 | — |
| Sebastes | 1 | — |
| **Zanclorhynchus | — | 1 |
| *Agriopus | 1 | — |
| Agonus | 1 | — |
| *Aphritis | 1 | — |
| *Eleginus | 1 | — |
| **Chænichthys | 1 | 1 |
| *Bovichthys | 2 | — |
| *Notothenia | 8 | 7 |
| **Harpagifer | 1 | 1 |
| Lycodes | 4 | — |
| **Magnea | 1 | — |
| Lotella | 1 | — |
| Merluccius | 1 | — |
| **Lepidopsetta | — | 1 |
| **Thysanopsetta | 1 | — |
| Syngnathus | 1 | — |
| **Protocampus | 1 | — |
| Myxine | 1 | — |
| 31 | 13 |
Fig. 108.—Chænichthys rhinoceratus, shores of the Antarctic Ocean.
CHAPTER XX.
DISTRIBUTION OF PELAGIC FISHES.
Pelagic Fishes,—that is, fishes inhabiting the surface of mid-ocean (see p. 255), belong to various orders, viz. Chondropterygians, Acanthopterygians, Physostomes, Lophobranchs, and Plectognaths. But neither Anacanths nor Pharyngognaths contribute to this series of the Marine Fauna. The following genera and families are included in it:—