5GC CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY - IV. 



FAMILY XCL SCLENID^E. 



(The Croakers.} 



Body compressed, more or less elongate, covered with rather thin, 

 ctenoid scales. Lateral line continuous, extending on the caudal ti:i. 

 Head prominent, covered with scales. Bones of the skull cavernous, 

 the muciferous system highly developed, the surface of the skull, when 

 the flesh is removed, very uneven. Chin usually with pores, sometimes 

 with barbels. Mouth small or large, the teeth in one or inoie series, the 

 outer of which are sometimes enlarged; canines often present. ISTo in- 

 cisor nor molar teeth ; no teeth on vorner, palatines, pterygoids, nor 

 tongue. Maxillary without supplemental bone, slipping under the free 

 edge of the preorbitaL Premaxillaries protractile, but not very freely 

 movable. Nostrils double. Pseudobranchiro usually large, present in 

 all our genera. Gills 4, a slit behind the fourth. Gill rakers present. 

 Branchiostegals 'I. Gill-membranes separate, free from the isthmus. 

 Lower pharyngeals separate or united. Preopercle serrate or not. 

 Opercle usually ending in two flat points. Dorsal tin deeply notched, 

 or divided into two fins, the soft dorsal being the longer, the spines 

 depressible into a more or less perfect groove. Anal tin with 1 or 

 2 spines. Ventral tins thoracic, I, f>. Pectoral tins normal. Caudal 

 tin usually not forked. Ear-bones very lar^e. Pyloric coica usually 

 rather lew. Air-bladder usually large and complicated (want ing in Men- 

 licirrt(n). Most of the species make a peculiar noise, called variously 

 croaking, grunting, drumming, and snoring. This sound is supposed 

 to be caused by forcing the air from the air-bladder into one of the lat- 

 eral horns. Carnivorous. An important family of about 25 genera and 

 125 species, found in all warm seas, one species being confined to fresh 

 waters. Many of them reach a large si/.e, and nearly all are valued for 

 food. 



(,SV/V,m?,r (Jiinther, ii, 



' 1 in! sals c (.ill i -nuns, I IK- sec -01 id d 01 sal nincli larger tli.-iu (lie anal. 



t Vertehne almnt ld-l-l-1. (Xi-Kinii. 

 ; I,d\\ Tr j;i\v included. 



$ I,(i\vrr pliar\ nijeals fully united, \\illi paved leeth : second anal spine very lar^e. 

 ii. 1. ov ei ja\\ \\itlioui liarU-ls. (I'resh-water species ) I I.\i'i.< iiix iv > i is, "JIM. 



<'n. Lower Jaw with several small iiariieis. (Marine species). PoooxnAB, 'JH">. 



fy$ Lower pliai \ n^eal hones dist inel. 



b. Ijowci jaw \\itlioul barrels : anal spines 'J. 



c. Teeth well developed, persistent in liothjaws ........... Sci^XA, 296. 



