690 ICHTHYOLOGY [CLASSIFICATION. Genera : Stromaieus and Ccntrolophus. Family 5. Coryphfenidcc. Body compressed ; eye lateral. Teetli small, conical, it present ; oesophagus smooth. No bony stay for the praoperculum. Dorsal tin single, long, without distinct spinous division. More than ten abdominal and more than four teen caudal vertebrae. Genera : Corypheena (Dolphin), Bramn, Tarades, Lampris (Sun-Fish), Ptcraclis, Schcdophilus, Diana, Ausonia, Mene. Fossil : Goniognathus. Family 6. Nomcidce. Body oblong, more or less compressed, covered with cycloid scales of moderate size ; eye lateral. No bony stay for the praeoperculum. Dorsal fin with a distinct spinous portion separated from the soft ; sometimes finlets ; caudal forked. More than ten abdominal and more than fourteen caudal vertebra. Genera : Gastrochisma, Nomeus, Psenes, and Cubiceps. Family 7. Scombridcc. Body oblong, scarcely compressed, naked or covered with small scales ; eye lateral. Dentition well developed. No bony stay for the praoperculum. Two dorsal fins ; generally finlets. Ventrals thoracic, with one spine and five rays. More than ten abdominal and more than fourteen caudal vertebra. Genera: Scomber (Mackerel), Thynnus (Tunny, Bonito, Albacore), Pelainys, Aims, Cybium, Elacate, and Echencis (Sucking-Fish). Family 8. Trachinidie. Body elongate, low, naked or covered with scales. Teeth small, conical. No bony stay for the prseoper culum. One or two dorsal fins, the spinous portion being always shorter and much less developed than the soft ; the anal similarly developed as the soft dorsal ; no finlets. Ventrals with one spine and five rays. Gill-opening more or less wide. Ten or more than ten abdominal and more than fourteen caudal vertebra. Genera : Uranoscopus, Leptoscopus, Agnus, Anema, Kathetosioma, TracMivus (Weever), Cliampsodon, Percis, Sillago, Bovichthys, Bathydraco, Ckcenichthys, Apkritis, Acanthaphritis, Eleginus, Chi- marrhichthys, Cottoperca, Pcrcophis, Trichodon, Pinguipes, Latilus, Opisthognathus, Pseudochromis, Cichlops, Pseudoplcsiops, Notothenia, emd Harpagifcr. Fossil : Callipteryx, TracMnopsis, and Pseudocle- ginus. Malacanthus is the type of a family allied to the Trachinidce. Family 9. Batrachidce. Head broad and thick ; body elongate, compressed behind ; skin naked or with small scales. No bony stay for the praoperculum. Teeth conical, small or of moderate size. The spinous dorsal consists of two or three spines only ; the soft and the anal long. Ventrals jugular, with two soft rays ; pectorals not pediculated. Gill-opening a more or less vertical slit before the pectoral, rather narrow. Genera : Batrachus, TJialassophryne, and Poridithys. Psychro- lutes and Neophrynichthys are allied forms. Family 10. Pediculati. Head and anterior part of the body very large, without scales. No bony stay for the prseoperculum. Teeth villiform or rasp-like. The spinous dorsal is advanced forwards, composed of a few more or less isolated spines, often transformed into tentacles, or entirely absent. Ventral fins jugular, with four or five soft rays, sometimes absent. The carpal bones are prolonged, forming a sort of arm, terminating in the pectoral. Gill-opening reduced to a small foramen, situated in or near the axil. Gills two and a half, three, or three and a half ; pseudobranchise generally absent. Genera : Lophius (Fishing-Frog, Angler), Ccratias, Himanto- lophus, Melnnocetus, Oneirodcs, Antcnnarius, Brachionichthys, Saccarius, Chaunax, Malthe, Halieutcea, Halieutichthys, Dibranchus, and s&yceonichtlnjs. Family 11. Cottidce. Form of the body oblong, sub-cylindrical. Cleft of the mouth lateral. Dentition feeble, generally in villiform bands. Some bones of the head are armed ; and a bony stay con nects the praopercular spine with the infraorbital ring. Two dorsal fins (rarely one), the spinous bring less developed than the soft and the anal. Ventrals thoracic, with five or less soft rays. Genera : Coitus (Bull-head, Miller s Thumb), Centridermichthys, Icelus, Platycephalus, Hoplichthys, Bunocottus, Jihamphocottus, Triglops, Podabrus, Elepsias, Nautichthys, Scorpccnichthys, Hcmi- lepidotiifs, Artcdius, Ptyonotus, Polycaulus, Bembras, and Trigla (Gurnards). Family 12. Cataphradi. Form of the body elongate, sub-cylindri cal. Dentition feeble. Body completely cuirassed with osseous keeled scales or plates. A bony stay connects the angle of the praoperculum with the infraorbital ring. Ventrals thoracic. Genera : Agonus, Aspidoplwroides, Siphagonus, Peristethus, Dactylopterus (Flying Gurnard). Family 13. Pegasidcc. Body entirely covered with bony plates, anchylosed on the trunk and movable on the tail. Barbels none. The margin of the upper jaw is formed by the intermaxillaries and their cutaneous prolongation, which extends downwards to the extremity of the maxillaries. Gill-cover formed by a large plate, homologous to the operculum, prseoperculum, and suboperculum ; interoperculum a long fine bone, hidden below the gill-plate. One rudimentary branchiostegal. The gill-plate is united to the isthmus by a narrow membrane ; gill-openings narrow, in front of the base of the pectoral fin. Gills four, lamellated. Pseudobranchiae and air-bladder absent. One short dorsal and a similar anal fin, oppo site to each other. Ventral fin present. Ovarian sacs closed. One genus only is known, Pegasus. DIVISION IX. Acanthoptcryii Go1iiform.es. The spinous dorsal, or spinous portion of the dorsal, is always present, short, either composed of flexible spines, or much less developed than the soft ; the soft dorsal and anal of equal extent. No bony stay for the angle of the praeoperculum. Ventrals thoracic or jugular, if present, composed of one spine and five, rarely four, soft rays. A prominent anal papilla. Family 1. Discoboli (Lump-Suckers). Body thick or oblong, naked or tubercular. Teeth small. Ventral tins with one spine and five rays, all being rudimentary and forming the osseous sup port of a round disk, which is surrounded by a cutaneous fringe. Gill-openings narrow, the gill-membranes being attached to the isthmus. Genera : Cydopterus and Liparis. Family 2. Gobiidce (Gobies). Body elongate, naked or scaly. Teeth generally small, sometimes with canines. The spinous dorsal fin, or portion of the dorsal fin, is the less developed, and composed of flexible spines ; anal similarly developed as the soft dorsal. Sometimes the ventrals are united into a disk. Gill-opening more or less narrow, the gill-membranes being attached to the isthmus. Genera : Gobius, Latrunculus, Euctcnogobius, Lophiogobius, Do- liichthys, Apocryptes, Evorthodus, Gobiosoma, Gobiodon, Triceno- phorichthys, Sicydium, Periophthalmus, Bolcophthalmus, Eleotris, Lentipcs, Trypauchen, Callionymus (Dragonet), Benthophilus, Am- blyopus, Orthostomus, Platyptera, Luciogobius, Oxymctopon, and, perhaps, Oxuderccs. DIVISION X. Acantliopterygii Blcnniiformes. Body low, sub- cylindrical or compressed, elongate. Dorsal fin very long ; the spinous portion of the dorsal, if distinct, is very long, as well developed as the soft, or much more ; sometimes the entire fin is composed of spines only ; anal more or less long ; caudal fin sub- truncated or rounded, if present. Ventral fins thoracic or jugular, if present. Family 1. Cepolidce.- Body very elongate, compressed, covered with very small cycloid scales ; eyes rather large, lateral. Teeth of moderate size. No bony stay for the angle of the praoperculum. One very long dorsal fin, which, like the anal, is composed of soft rays. Ventrals thoracic, composed of one spine and five rays. Gill-opening wide. Caudal vertebra exceedingly numerous. Genus: Ccpola (Band-Fishes). An allied family are the Tricko~ notidce, with Trichonotus and Hemeroaxtcs. Family 2. Heterofepidotidce. Body oblong, compressed, scaly; eyes lateral ; cleft of the mouth lateral ; dentition feeble. The angle of the prseoperculum connected by a bony stay with the infraorbital ring. Dorsal long, with the spinous and soft portions equally developed ; anal elongate, Ventrals thoracic, with ona spine and five rays. Genera : Chirus, Ophiodon, Agrammus, Zaniolepis. Family 3. Blenniidce. Body elongate, low, more or less cylindrical, naked or covered with scales, which generally are small. One, two, or three dorsal fins occupying nearly the whole length of the back, the spinous portion, if distinct, being as much developed as the soft, or more ; sometimes the entire fin is composed of spines ; anal fin long. Ventrals jugular, composed of a few rays, and sometimes rudimentary or entirely absent. PseudobranchiEe generally pre sent. Genera : Anarrhichas (Wolf-Fish), Blcnnius (Blenny), Chasmodes> Petroscirtes, Salarias,Clinus, Cristiccps, Crcmnobatcs, Tripterygium, Stichceus, Blenniops, Cenironotus, Xiphidion, Cryptacanthodes, Patcecus, Zoarccs, Blennophis, Ncmophis, Plagiotrcmus, Neoclinus, Ccbidichthys, Myxodes, Hctcrostichus, Dictyosoma, Lcpidoblemiius, Dadyloscopus, Gunellichthys, Uroccntrus, Siichmopsis, Sticharium, Notograptus, Pholidichtliys, and Pseudoblennius . Closely allied is Acanthodinus. Family 4. Mastaccmbclidce. Body elongate, eel-like, covered with very small scales. Mandible long, but little movable. Dorsal fin very long, the anterior portion composed of numerous short isolated spines : anal fin with spines anteriorly. Ventrals none. The humeral arch is not suspended from the skull. Gill- openings reduced to a slit at the lower part of the side of the head. Genera : PJiynchobdella and Mastaccmbclus. DIVISION XI. Acanthoptcrygii Mugiliformes. Two dorsal fins more or less remote from each other ; the anterior either short, like the posterior, or composed of feeble spines. Ventral fins with one spine and five rays, abdominal. Family 1. Sphyrcenidce. Body elongate, sub-cylindrical, covered with small cycloid scales ; lateral line continuous. Cleft of the mouth wide, armed with strong teeth. Eye lateral, of moderate size. Vertebra twenty- four. Genera: Sphyrccna (Barracuda). Fossil: Sphyrcenodus, Hypsodon, Portkcns, Saurocephalus. Family 2. Atherinidcc. Body more or less elongate, sub-cylin drical, covered with scales of moderate size ; lateral line indistinct.
Cleft of the mouth of moderate width, with the dentition feeble.
