Artificial Key to the Families of American Food and Game Fishes 



/. Vomer, and usually palatines also, with teeth. 



g. Anal fin shorter than dorsal; head not everywhere covered with rough 

 scales; postocular part of head not shortened. 



XLVIII, SERRANID^E, 370 



gg. Anal fin scarcely shorter than dorsal and similar to it; head and body 

 everywhere covered with rough scales; body deep, compressed, 



the posterior part of head shortened L. PRIACANTHID^E, 401 



//. Vomer without teeth; dorsal fin continuous; body deep, compressed. 



XLIX, LOBOTID/E, 400 



dd. Maxillary slipping for most of its length under the edge of the preorbital, 

 which forms a more or less distinct sheath; ventrals with an acces- 

 sory scale; opercle without spines; maxillary without supplemen- 

 tal bone; anal spines 3, rarely 2. 

 h. Fishes carnivorous; intestines of moderate length; teeth in jaws not all 



incisor-like; vertebrae usually 24 or 25. 

 i. Vomer with teeth, these sometimes very small; maxillary long. 



LI, LUTIANID^E, 403 



ii. Vomer without teeth; palatines and tongue toothless. 

 /. Teeth on sides of jaws not molar; maxillaries formed essentially as in the 



Serranidce; preopercle mostly serrate LI I, H^EMULID^E, 420 



//. Teeth on sides of jaws molar; maxillaries peculiar in form and in articu- 

 lation; anterior teeth conical or else more or less incisor-like; pre- 

 opercle entire LIII, SPARID^E, 436 



hh. Fishes herbivorous; intestinal canal elongate; anterior teeth in jaws in- 

 cisor-like; no molars or canines; premaxillaries moderately pro- 

 tractile LV, KvpHosiDyE, 450 



cc. Mackerel-like fishes, with the caudal peduncle usually very slender, the 

 fin widely forked, the scales various, usually not ctenoid; the dor- 

 sal spines various, anal fin long. 



k. Dorsal spines numerous, most of them produced in long filaments; pec- 

 torals very long XXXVII, NEMATISTIID^E, 294 



kk. Dorsal spines mostly low, not more than 2 of them filamentous.. 

 /. Dorsal fin divided, the spines 6 to 12 in number. 



XXXIX, POMATOMID^;, 320 



//. Dorsal spines 3 or 4, the fin not divided XLIII, BRAMID/E, 327 



AA. Body scaleless, smooth or armed with tubercles, prickles, or scattered 



bony plates. 



B. Anal preceded by 2 free spines (these lost with age; connected by mem- 

 branes in the very young) XXXVIII, CARANGID^E, 296 



BB. Anal without free spines XXXII, SCOMBRID.-E, 272 



III. VENTRAL FINS PRESENT, THORACIC OR JUGULAR, THE NUMBER 



OF RAYS NOT DEFINITELY I, 5 



A. Eyes unsymmetrical, both on the same side of head. 



LXXII, PLEURONECTID^;, 520 

 AA. Eyes symmetrical, one on each side of the head. 



B. Ventral rays with or without spine, the number of soft rays more than 5. 



C. Tail isocercal, the vertebras progressively smaller to base of caudal; ven- 



trals jugular; no spines in any of the fins. 



D. Jaws and vomer with strong canines; second dorsal and anal deeply 



notched; no barbel LXX, MERLUCCIID^;, 507 



DD. Jaws and vomer without distinct canines; chin usually with a barbel. 



LXXl, GADID^E, 508 

 CC. Tail not isocercal, the last vertebrae not reduced in size. 



E. Ventral rays about 15; dorsal fin single, elevated .XLII, LAMPRIDID^;, 326 

 EE. Ventral rays I, 6 to I, 10; dorsal with spines. 



F. Body covered with firm serrated scales; anal spines 4; dorsal spines not 



elevated .XXX, HOLOCENTRID^E, 264 



544 



