Isospondyli 



45 



large, brilliantly silvery, toothless fishes, looking like enormous 

 dace, swift in the water, and very abundant in the Gulf of 



FIG. 32. Milkfish, Chanos chanos (L.). Mazatlan. 



California, Polynesia, and India. The single living species is 

 the Awa, or milkfish, Chanos chanos, largely used as food 

 in Hawaii. Species of Prochanqs and Chanos occur in the 

 Cretaceous, Eocene, and Miocene. Allied to Chanos is the 

 Cretaceous genus Ancylostylos (gibbus), probably the type of 

 a distinct family, toothless and with many-rayed dorsal. 



The Hiodontidae. The Hiodontida, or mooneyes, inhabit the 

 rivers of the central portion of the United States and Canada. 



FIG. 33. Mooneye, Hiodon tergisus Le Sueur. Ecorse, Mich. 



They are shad-like fishes with brilliantly silvery scales and very- 

 strong sharp teeth, those on the tongue especially long. They are 

 very handsome fishes and take the hook with spirit, but the 

 flesh is rather tasteless and full of small bones, much like that 



