4GO CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY - IV. 



FAMILY LXXXIII (). APHREDODERID/E. 



(The Pirate Pcrchcx.) 



Body oblong, elevated at the base of the dorsal, compressed behind, 

 the head thick and depressed, the profile concave. Caudal peduncle 

 thick. Mouth moderate, somewhat oblique, the lower jaw projecting; 

 maxillary reaching to anterior border of the eye. Teeth in villiform 

 bands on jaws, vomer, palatines, and pterygoids. Premaxillaries not 

 protractile; maxillaries small, without evident supplemental bone. 

 Preopercle and prearbital with their free edges sharply serrate; opercle 

 with a spine. Bones of skull somewhat cavernous. Sides of the head 

 >caly. Lower pharyngeals narrow, separate, with villiform teeth. 

 Gill-membranes slightly joined to the isthmus anteriorly. Gill-rakers 

 tubercle-like, dentate. Pseudobranchiae obsolete. Gills 4, a small slit 

 behind the fourth. Branchiostegals G. Scales moderate, strongly 

 ctenoid, adherent. Lateral line imperfect or wanting. Vent always an- 

 terior, its position varying with age,* from just behind the ventral fins 

 in the young, to below the preopercle in the adult. Dorsal tin single, 

 median, high, with but 3 or 4 spines, which are rapidly graduated, the 

 first being very short. Anal small, with 2 slender spines; ventral tins 

 thoracic, without distinct spine, the number of rays usually 7; caudal 

 tin rounded behind. Air-bladder simple, large, adherent to the walls 

 of the abdomen. Vertebra} 14 + 15. Pyloric coeca about 12. A single 

 genus, with probably but one species. Confined to the United States. 



(Aphn-ilodfi-'uin < iiintlicr, i, 271.) 



24O. APIIKEDODERUS Le Snenr. 

 ] 'irate Pcrch<x. 



i Li- Sin-iir: div. A V:il. Hist. N.-ii. J'niss. ix, \\~>, !>:!.*: type Aphrwlodi-rux ijlbbosns Le 

 Siit-nr Srnlnjixix Hiii/iniun (iilliaiuti.) 



Characters of the genus included above. (/>.<?..--. excrement ; ,7 //,/,, 

 tlie tliroaf, iVom the position of the vent: heiiee more correct h .\i>hn- 



doderiu.) 



721. A. s:iy:i:as (Cilli.-iinsi 1 ),-Ka\ .l'i, 



Color dark olive, profusely speckled with dark points which often 

 make blackish streaks along rows of scales; two blackish bars at base 

 of ;-audal. between which is a. light bar. Head .'!; depth 3. D. Ill, 11 



'This Hinguhir fart \\a^ lirsi imtii-ril li\ I'lol'i-ssdr S. A. For')cs. 



