210 



Acanthopterygii ; Synentognathi 



ing families of fishes, there is no mesocoracoid, and in very 

 nearly all of these families the duct to the air-bladder disappears 

 at an early stage of development. 



The Garfishes: Belonidae. There are two principal groups 

 or families among the Synentognathi, the Belonida, with strong 

 jaws and teeth, and the Exoccetida, in which these structures 

 .are feeble. Much more important characters appear in the 

 anatomy. In the Belonida the third upper pharyngeal is 

 small, with few teeth, and the maxillary is firmly soldered to 

 the premaxillary. The vertebrae are provided with zygapophyses. 

 The species of Belonidcz are known as garfishes, or needle- 

 fishes. They resemble the garpike in form, but have nothing 

 else in common. The body is long and slender, covered with 

 small scales. Sharp, unequal teeth fill the long jaws and the 



FIG. 165. Needle-fish, Tyloxurus acus (Lace'pede). New York. 



dorsal is opposite the anal, on the hinder part of the body. These 

 fishes are green in color, even the bones being often bright 

 green, while the scales on the sides have a silvery luster. The 

 species are excellent as food, the green color being associated 

 with nothing deleterious. All are very voracious and some of 

 the larger species, 5 or 6 feet long, may be dangerous even to 

 man. Fishermen have been wounded or killed by the thrust 

 of the sharp snout of a fish springing into the air. The garfishes 

 swim near the surface of the water and often move with great 

 swiftness, frequently leaping from the water. The genus 

 Belone is characterized by the presence of gill-rakers. Belone 

 belone is a small garfish common in southern Europe. Belone 

 platura occurs in Polynesia. The American species (Tylosurus) 

 lack gill-rakers. Tylosurus marinus, the common garfish of 



