G14 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



Regnr Auiin.: I. 'p!ii< ip u s glgan Giiiither. ii, 61: Eplnppus ffif/as Holbrook, Ich. S. Car., 

 li'T: Eplripiniii fubcr Holbrook, 1. c. 110: Ephlppus zonatun Girard, U. S. Pac. R. R. 

 Surv. 110, from San Diego.) 



FAMILY XCVIIL CHJETODONTIDJE. 



(The Cluctodonlis.) 



Body strongly compressed, elevated, suborbicular iu outline, covered 

 with moderate-sized or small scales, which are finely ciliated or nearly 

 smooth; lateral line present, concurrent with the back, not extending- on 

 the caudal fin; mouth small, protractile, terminal; maxillary very short; 

 teeth slender or jsetiform, often extremely long, in narrow bands in the 

 jaws; no teeth on vorner or palatines; no canines, molars, or incisors; 

 eyes lateral, of moderate size ; branchiostegals C or 7 ; pseudobranehise 

 very large; air-bladder present. Gill-membranes more or less attached 

 to the isthmus ; gill-rakers very small. Dorsal tin single, continuous, its 

 rays sometimes filamentous, its soft part as well as the soft part of the 

 anal densely covered with small scales; anal similar to the soft dorsal 

 with 3 or 4 spines ; veutrals thoracic, I, o. Carnivorous fishes of the tropi- 

 cal seas, noted for their singular forms and bright colors. Genera 5 or 

 more; species about 170, most of them belonging to Chwtodon and Po- 



s part, Giinther, ii, 1-57.) 



a. Preoperculuin without spine atits angle ___ ...... -. .......... CII. / ETODOX, 



na. Preopironl inn with a strong spine at its angle ............... POMAC.AXTIIUS, 3^9. 



328. CII.'ETODON Linnaeus. 

 (Saroihrodits Gill: Tetragonoptrua Bleeker.) 



( Liniiicus, Systcnia Natura-, x, 1?."S: type CIni lotion cttplxtntlux L.) 



Body short, deep, very strongly compressed, especially above and 

 behind; head small, compressed, almost everywhere scaly; mouth very 

 Miiall, terminal, the jaws provided with long, slender, flexible, bristle- 

 like teeth ; preoperculum entire or nearly so, without spine. Dorsal fin 

 single, continuous, not notched, the spinous part longer" than the soft 

 part, of about 1.". spines; last r;i\s of soft dorsal usually rapidly short- 

 ened: caudal peduncle short, the caudal fin fan-shaped; anal similar to 

 soft dorsal, preceded by " or \ strong spines. 1 5ody covered with rather 

 large cienoid scales, somewhat irregular in their arrangement; the 

 lateral line curved, high, parallel with the hack. Gill-openings rather 

 narrow, the, membranes narrowlyjoined to the isthmus; branchiostegals 

 0. A very large genus of singular-looking fishes, abounding in the 



