Lampris.—Body compressed and elevated, covered with very small deciduous scales; cleft of the mouth narrow. A single dorsal, without a spinous portion. Ventrals composed of numerous rays. Teeth none.
Fig. 203.—Lampris luna.
The “Sun-fish” (L. luna) is one of the most beautiful fishes of the Atlantic. It attains to the large size of four feet in length, is bluish on the back, with round silvery spots, which colour prevails on the lower parts; the fins are of a deep scarlet. It is said to be excellent eating. It is a pelagic fish, not rare about Madeira, but extending far northwards in the Atlantic; it seems to be rarer in the Mediterranean. All the specimens hitherto obtained were full-grown or nearly so. The skeleton exhibits several peculiarities, viz. an extraordinary development and dilatation of the humeral arch, and great strength of the numerous and closely-set ribs.
Other Coryphænoid genera are Pteraclis, Schedophilus, Diana, Ausonia, and Mene; all pelagic forms.
Sixth Family—Nomeidæ.
Body oblong, more or less compressed, covered with cycloid scales of moderate size; eye lateral. No bony stay for the præoperculum. Dorsal fin with a distinct spinous portion separated from the soft; sometimes finlets; caudal forked. More than ten abdominal, and more than fourteen caudal vertebræ.
Marine fishes; pelagic, at least when young.
Fig. 204.—Gastrochisma melampus.