The Squamipinnes 



401 



thickened and the skull otherwise modified. A very similar 

 species, Chatodipterus zonatus, occurs on the west coast of 

 Mexico. Species allied to Chcetodipterus are fossil in the Italian 

 Eocene. The Drepanida of the East Indies are close to the 

 'tarchida. Drepane punctata is a large, deep-bodied fish resem- 

 bling the spadefish but with larger scales. 



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FIG. 337. Spadefish, Chcetodiptents faber (L.). Virginia. 



The Platacidae. Closely related to the Ilarchidce is also the 

 East Indian family of Platacidce, remarkable for the very great 

 depth and compression of the body, which is much deeper than 

 long, and the highly elevated dorsal and anal still further empha- 

 size this peculiarity of form. In this group the few dorsal 

 spines are closely attached to the soft rays and the general 

 color is dusky. In the young the body is deeper than in the 

 adult and the ventral fins much more produced. The best- 

 known species is the tsuzume or batfish (Platax orbicularis) , 

 which ranges from India through the warm current to northern 

 Japan. Platax teira, farther south, is very similar. Platax 



ii 26 



