CLASSIFICATION OF FISHES 29 



(III) Several finlets between the back and anal fins and the 

 forked tail fin. Scombridce 



(IV) Back fin high, of flexible spines, running the entire length of 

 the back. Form tapering, tail fin deeply forked. Coryphcenidce 



(V) A bony stay across the cheek and strong spines about the 

 large head; or entire head encased in a bony armature. 

 (1) Head not encased in a bony armature. 



(A) Ventral fins with the normal spine followed by 



five soft rays. Body covered by small scales. 



Scorpcenidce 



(B) Ventral fins with less than five soft rays. Body 



without true scales. CottidcB 



(2) Head encased in a bony armature. Breast fin large. 



(A) Three fleshy tentacles before the breast fin. 



Triglidas 



(B) No fleshy tentacles before the breast fin. Breast 

 fin very large. Cephalacanthidce 



(VI) Head squarish. Eyes on top of head, far forward. Mouth 



opening upward. Uranoscopidce 



(VII) Head and mouth very large. Body tadpole-shaped. Teeth 



large and pointed. Two or three slender isolated spines 

 on the top of the head with flaps at their tips. Size large. 



LophiidoB 



(VIII) Body and fins very irregular in outline, everywhere with 

 small flap-like processes. The breast fins with stalked 

 bases, arm-like. Small fishes hiding in weed. Anten- 



nariidce 



(IX) Not as above. 



(1) Isolated spines in front of the back fin. 



(A) Tail fin rounded. Ventral fins composed princi- 



pally of a strong spine. Very small fishes of 

 fresh, brackish and salt water. Gasterosteidce 



(B) Tail fin rather forked. Isolated spines on the back 



short, 

 (a) Tail fin very deeply forked. Carangidce 



