418 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY - IV. 



the lays all flat. broad and stiff, being partially ossified, although showing 

 the usual articulation; upper rays of pectoral broader than the others. 

 One- species known. (/;V"?, rhomb; -/i'.p, hand.) 



G6O. It. ostcoclair (Cuvicr) Gill. 



Light brown; underside of head, ventral line, part of ventrals and a 

 sj>ot on pectorals pale. Mouth very small, maxillary not nearly reaching 

 to the line of the orbit. Disk very large, broader and rougher than in 

 J-lchniflx reword-, extending forwards beyond the tip of the snout. Cau- 

 dal tin emarginate, with rounded angles. Head 4j in length; disk 2.^; 

 width between pectorals 5. D. XVIII 21 ; A. 20; P. 20. West Indies, 

 north to Cape Cod; parasitic on species of Tetrapturus. 



(Echencis oxteocltir Cuvicr. Rt-gne Auiiu: Echencia otsteochir Giiutber, ii, 381: Echcneis 

 tetrapturorum Poey, Memorias, ii, 25G.) 



FAMILY LXXL ELACATID^. 



( The Crab-eaters. ) 



Body elongated, fusiform, subcylindrical, covered with very small, 

 smooth scales. Head rather broad, low, pike-like. Month rather wide, 

 nearly horizontal, the maxillary about reaching front of eye; both 

 jaws, vomer, palatines, and tongue with bands of short, sharp teeth; 

 lower jaw longest. Premaxillaries not protractile. First dorsal repre- 

 sented by about eight low, stout, equal, free spines, each spine depressi- 

 ble in a groove; soft dorsal long and rather low, somewhat falcate, sim- 

 ilar to and nearly opposite the anal; two weak anal spines, one of them 

 free from the fin ; ventrals thoracic, 1,5; caudal fin forked; no caudal 

 keel; no finlcts; no sucking-disk; no air-bladder. Branchiostegals 7. 

 Pyluric coeca branched. Vertebrae more than 10 + 14. A single genus 

 with probably but one species, a large, strong, voracious fish, found in 

 all warm seas. (Scombridw part, genus Elacate, Giinther, ii, o7.~i.) 



2O8. EEACATE Cuvior. 



(CuviiT, Rrgnc ATiiin. ed. 2<1, 1829: type EJacate mulalmrim Cnv. = Gasterosteu8 



< (lll<l<lll L.) 



Characters of the genus included above. (r t )>a/.<\rr n a spindle or an 

 arrow, from the form of the body.) 



E. Canada (Linn.) (Jill. Crab-cater; f'olritt. 

 Olive In-own, sides with a distinct broad band of darker, and a less 

 li<l inct hand above and below it; below silvery. 1 lead much depressed. 

 Mouth moderate, the short maxillary reaching front of orbit. Pectorals 

 broad and falcate; caudal deeply emarginate, the upper lobe slightly 



