89. APOGONID.E APOGON. 563 



FAMILY LXXXIX. APOGONID^J. 



Body oblong, elevated, covered with usually large, loose, deciduous 

 scales, which are striated and ctenoid or sometimes cycloid; cheeks 

 scaly; lateral line continuous; cleft of mouth wide, oblique; villi- 

 form teeth on jaws and vomer ; canines sometimes present ; preopercle 

 commonly with a double ridge, its edge entire or slightly serrated; 

 lower pharyngeals separate, with sharp teeth ; pseudobranchia3 present ; 

 brauchiostegals 6 or 7. Dorsal fins well separated, the first with 6 or 7 

 rather strong spines ; anal fin short, usually with 2 spines ; ventral fins 

 thoracic, I, 5. Fishes mostly of the Eastern seas, some of them in fresh 

 waters. Genera about 10; species about 120. 



(Perddce part: group Apogonina Giinther, i, 222-250.) 



a. Branchiostegals 7 ; no canines; no recumbent dorsal spine ; palatine teeth present ; 



anal spines 2. ( Apogoninas. ) 



fe. Lateral line commencing at the head ; preopercle with a double ridge ; teeth on 

 the palatines APOGON, 291. 



291. APOGON Lacepede. 



King of the Mullets. 

 (Amla Groiiow, not of Linuseus.) 



(Lace"pede, Hist. Nat. Poiss. iii, 411, 1802 : type Apogonniber Lac. = Mullus imberUs L. = 

 Apoyon rex-mullontm C. & V.) 



Body oblong, compressed, covered with very large ctenoid scales. 

 Lateral line continuous. Head large; mouth wide, oblique, the max- 

 illary extending to below the middle of the large eye ; villiform teetli 

 on jaws, vomer, and palatines ; no canine teeth ; preopercle with a 

 double ridge, entire or somewhat serrate ; opercle with a spine behind. 

 Gill-rakers rather long. Dorsal spines 6 or 7, strong ; second dorsal 

 remote, short; anal with 2 spines, the second much the longer, the 

 soft part similar to the soft dorsal ; pectorals and ventrals moderate. 

 (a-eofwv, without beard ; thus distinguished from the bearded mullet, 

 Mullus.) 



a. Edges of preopercle serrulate ; scales very large. (Apogon.) 



889. A. americanus Castelnah. 



Violaceous, scales all with dark points; a dark spot on opercle. Body 

 comparatively elongate, little elevated ; jaws equal ; muzzle short ; eye 

 large, 3- in head ; preopercle very finely denticulated. Second dorsal 

 spine stoutest, as high as the third ; pectorals nearly reaching anal. 



