File:Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution (1908) (14770483145).jpg

Identifier: annualreportofbo1908smitfo (find matches)
Title: Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution
Year: 1846 (1840s)
Authors: Smithsonian Institution. Board of Regents United States National Museum. Report of the U.S. National Museum Smithsonian Institution. Report of the Secretary
Subjects: Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian Institution. Archives Discoveries in science
Publisher: Washington : Smithsonian Institution
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1908. THE OGCOCEPHALIDS OR MALTHIDS. The family Ogcocephalids, or bat fishes, is in some respects, at least,the most distinctly differentiated family of the Pediculates. Thehead is large and much depressed, and, in most of the species, pre-sents considerable superficial appearance to that of the anglers, butthe branchial apertures are in or behind the upper (and not lower)axils of the pectorals; those fins are strongly geniculated, and theelongated pseudobrachia have each three actinosts; ventral fins arewell developed and jugular; the first dorsal is obsolete or representedby a single rostral tentacle which may be deflected downwardby the horizontal extension of the forehead; the soft dorsal andanal fins are very short and few-rayed (D. 4—7, A. 3^), and in onegenus (Halicmetus) the dorsal is entirely suppressed. The most remarkable feature of the osteology is the great develop-ment of the opercular apparatus, which is correlated with the supe-
Text Appearing After Image:
PiG. 29.—Skeleton of a Malthid (MaJilioi)sis aiuniilosa). After Garraan. rior position of the branchial apertures; the operculum and sub-operculum are connected in a triangular plate expanding and pro-longed backward and downward. For a long time the only genera of the family known were Ogco-cephalns or Malthe from the American coast and Ilalieutaa from theChina-Japanese waters. Later explorations, however, have broughtto light over thirty species representing as many as twelve genera.Only three species of Ogcocej)lmlus and one of Halieutam are in-habitants of shoal waters, all the others being deep-sea fishes, occur-ing mostly at depths between 100 and 500 fathoms. The family has been disintegrated into two subfamilies, Ogcocepha-lines, or Maltheines, and Halieuta^ines, but they run into each other. The typical Ogcocephalines are distinguished from all other fishesby a unique character. The forehead is produced into a nearly hori-zontal process which is so extended as to deflect th

Note About Images