Surmullets, Croakers, etc. 



359 



The Jawfishes: Opisthognathidae, etc. The Pseudochromi- 

 pidce are marine-fishes of the tropics with the lateral line inter- 

 rupted, and with a single dorsal. They bear some resemblance 

 to Plesiops and other aberrant Serranidce. 



FIG. 297. Gnathypops evermanni Jordan & Snyder. Misaki, Japan. 



Very close to these are the Opistognathidce or Jawfishes with 

 a single lateral line and the mouth very large. In certain 

 species of Opisthognathus, the maxillary, long and curved, extends 

 far behind the head. The few species are found in warm 



FIG. 298. Jawfish, Opisthognathus macrognathus Poey. Tortugas, Fla. 



seas, but always very sparingly. Some of them are handsomely 

 colored. 



The Stone-wall Perch: Oplegnathidae. A singular group evi- 

 dently allied to the Hcemulidaz is the family of Oplegnathidce. 

 In these fishes the teeth are grown together to form a bony beak 

 like the jaw of a turtle. Except for this character, the species 

 are very similar to ordinary grunts. While the mouth resembles 



