82. BERYCID^E. 457 



Z. ocellatiis (Storcr) Gill. 

 Color silvery, nearly plain ; a black lateral ocellated spot in life, dis- 

 appearing in spirits. Body short, deep, compressed. Skin wholly 

 naked, except for the bony bucklers, which are armed each with a central 

 spine hooked backwards and marked with radiating- ridges; 7 bucklers 

 along the base of the dorsal, the 5th and 6th largest; 2 on the median 

 line in front of the veutrals, the second largest; one median plate, and 

 pairs between ventrals and anal, and 4 along the base of the anal. Top 

 of the head with ronghish ridges, but without spines ; a spine at the 

 base of each dentary bone; the broad maxillaries each with a supple- 

 mental bone; teeth nearly obsolete. Eye large, much nearer the gill 

 opening than the tip of the snout. Gill-rakers short. Caudal peduncle 

 very slender, the caudal fin short and rounded ; pectorals very short. ; 

 ventrals large, the rays I, 6, the first soft ray closely appressed to the 

 spine; anal spines short and stout, the soft rays, like those of the dorsal, 

 low; dorsal spines filamentous. D. IX, 20; A. 111,24. Pelagic; one 

 specimen taken at Provincetowu, Mass. (Description from the original 

 type.) 



(Zeus occllatus Storer, Proc. Bos. Soc. Nat. Hist, vi, 888; Gill, 1. c.) 



FAMILY LXXXIL BE 



(The Squirrel -fishes.) 



Body oblong or ovate, compressed, covered with very strongly ctenoid 

 or spiuous scales. Head with large muciferous cavities, covered by thin 

 skin. Eye lateral, usually large. Mouth more or less oblique. Pre- 

 maxillaries protractile ; maxillary rather large, usually with a supple- 

 mental bone. Bands of villiform teeth on jaws, and usually on vomer 

 and palatines. Opercular bones usually spinous ; frequently every mem- 

 brane bone of the head strongly serrated. Brauchiostegals mostly 8. 

 Gill-membranes separate, free from the isthmus. Gills 4, a slit behind 

 the fourth. Pscudobranchise present. Gill-rakers moderate. Cheeks 

 and opeicles scaly. No barbels. Dorsal fin long or short, usually with 

 strong spines ; anal with 2-4 spines ; ventral fins thoracic, usually I, 7, 

 the number of rays greater than I, 5 ; caudal fin usually forked. Pyloric 

 co3ca numerous. Genera 5-G ; species about 50. Bough-scaled and 

 brightly colored fishes of the warm seas; two species straying to our 



