508 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



terminal; premaxillaries protractile; maxillaries without supplemental 

 bone, slipping under the membranaceous edge of preorbital; the anterior 

 teeth in the jaws usually very strong; teeth of the jaws separate or 

 more or less soldered together, sometimes forming a continuous plate; 

 no teeth on vomer or palatines ; lower pharyugeals completely united 

 into one bone, without median suture. Lips thick, longitudinally pli- 

 cate. Xostrils round, with two openings on each side. Dorsal fin con- 

 tinuous, the spinous portion long; anal similar to soft dorsal, usually 

 with two or three spines. Ventrals thoracic, I, 5. Branchiostegals 

 5-". Pseudobranchia3 present. Gills 3% ; the slit behind the last arch 

 small or obsolete; the gill-membranes somewhat connected, often joined 

 to the narrow isthmus. Air-bladder present. No pyloric coeca. Genera 

 65, species 450, chiefly of the tropical seas. Many of them are brilliautly 

 colored, and some are valued as food-fish. Most of them feed upon inol- 

 lusks, the dentition being adapted for crushing shells. The group has 

 been much subdivided, and many of the current genera are distinguished 

 by characters of little importance. 



(Labridw Giinther, iv, 65-244.) 

 a. Teeth in ju\vs distinct; pharyugeal teetli not confluent; anal spines 3. 



b. Dorsal fin with 15-20 spines ; teetli all conical; no posterior canines; lateral line 



continuous. (Labrina:) 



c. Preoperclo serrate; cheeks and opercles scaly; teeth in a band, the outer en- 

 larged CTKXOLABKUS, 315. 



cc. Preopercle entire: cheeks scaly; opercles naked; teeth in about t\vo series. 



TAUTOGA, 316. 

 ccc. Preopercle entire; cheeks and opercles scaly; teeth in a single series. 



LACHXOLJJMUS, 317. 



Ib. Dorsal fin with 8-13 spines. (JulicHnce.) 

 d. Lateral line continuous. 

 e. Cheeks and opercles scaly ; dorsal spines 12; posterior canines present. 



HAKIM-:, 318. 

 ee. Cheeks ;ind opercles naked or very nearly so; dorsal spines D. 



/. Posterior canines well developed Pi,ATY<;i.ossrs, 319. 



//. Posterior canines obsolete psi-:rixuri.is, 320. 



dil. Lateral line interrupted; head naked, its upper edge usually trenchant. 



XYKICHTHYS, 321. 

 aa. Teeth in jaws confluent; pharyngeal teeth pavement-like ; anal spines 2; .scales 



large. (*<<! rinai.) 

 g. Teeth partly separate, the anterior distinct ; dorsal spines flexible. 



CAI.I.IOI.ON, 322. 



gy. Teeth soldered together, forming a plate like the ja\v of T<-tn>t1<ni; 

 each jaw di\ided on the median line ; dorsal spines flexible; scales 

 on cheeks in two or more rows HKMISTOM.V, 32:t. 



