125 (a). ANTENNARI1D.E - ANTENNARIUS. 845 



FAMILY CXXV (a). ANTENNARIID^E. 



(The Frog-fishes.} 



Head and body more or less compressed. Mouth vertical or very 

 oblique; lower jaw projecting; jaws with cardiforin teeth; premaxilla- 

 ries protractile. Gill-openings small, pore-like, in or behind the lower 

 axils of the pectorals. No pseudobranchise. Skin naked, smooth, or 

 prickly. Pectoral members forming an elbow-like angle. Pseudo- 

 brachia long, with three actinosts. Ventral fins present, jugular, near 

 together. Spiuous dorsal of one to three separated, tentacle-like spines ; 

 soft dorsal long, larger than anal. Pyloric cosca none. Genera about 5 ; 

 species nearly 40. Inhabitants of tropical seas, <f living on floating sea- 

 weed, and enabled, by filling the capacious stomach with air, to sustain 

 themselves on the surface of the water"; therefore, widely dispersed 

 by currents in the sea. 



(Pediculati pt. Giiuther, iii, 182-200.) 



a. Head compressed; a rostral spine or tentacle, followed by two larger spines; pala- 



tine teeth developed. 

 &. Dorsal spines disconnected ................................. ANTENNARIUS, 467. 



aa. Head cuboid; a single rostral spine or tentacle; soft dorsal low. ..CHAUNAX, 468. 



467. AWTENNARIUrS Lacepede. 



(Chironcctes Cuv.) 



(Corumerson ; Lac6pede, Hist. Nat. Poiss. i, 421, 1798 : type Antennarius cJiironedcs 

 Commerson.) 



Body oblong, compressed, very deep through the occipital region, 

 tapering behind ; breast tumid. Mouth rather large, more or less. 

 oblique, or even vertical ; cardiform teeth on jaws, vomer, and pala- 

 tines. Eye small. Skin smooth, granular or spinous, with numerous 

 fleshy slips. First dorsal spine developed as a small rostral tentacle; 

 second and third dorsal spines strong, covered with skin, with nu- 

 merous fleshy filaments; soft dorsal high and long; anal short and 

 deep; caudal fin rounded; pectoral fins moderate, with a more or less 

 slender wrist, at the lower posterior angle of which are the very small 

 gill-openings; ventral fins well developed. Fantastic-looking fishes; 

 very numerous in warm seas. (Latin antenna, a feeler or tentacle.) 



. Ventral fins long ; skin smooth or nearly so ; mouth oblique. (Ptcroplirynoidi'a* Gill.) 



1303. A. liistrio (L.) J. & G. Mouse-fish; Toad-fisJi. 

 Yellowish, marbled with brown; 3 dark bauds radiating from eye; 



* Plvrophrync Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1863,90: type Chironccteaboucjainvillei 

 C. & V. ; preoccupied as Pieropltrynus: Pterophrynoides Gill, Proc. IT. S. Nat. Mus. 

 1-78, 216. (nrspov, wing; (ppvvrj, toad; cz<5o, resemblance.) This genus is per- 

 haps worthy of retention. 



