NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 513 



JSciaenoidei (Sciseniformes partim) Blceker. 



Gobioidei (Gobiiformes partim) " 



t h' 'A / Trachinina part. ) Giinther, Catalogue of the Acanthoptery- 



iracamias j Pseudochromideg part j- g i an FisheS) vo l ii. 



T . . . , i Trachinina part. ) Giinther, Annals and Magazine of Natural 



lracmnicIae ) Nototheniinapart. f History. 



Acanthopterygii trachinoidei Eleolriiniis similes, capite hand cavernoso, pinnis 

 pectoralibus radiis ramosis, pinnis veutralibus jugularibus, linea laterali elevata 

 postice vel interrupta, i. e. 



10 + x 



Acanthopterygii elongati, buccis inermibus, vertibriis . , , ; corpore regu- 



lariter squamosa; capite lateraliter inflata, ossibus haud cavernosis, operculibus 

 integribus, rostro gibbosa, ore terminali, modico ; palato laevi ; aperturis brarich- 

 ialibus magnis; radiis branchiostegalibus 6; pinnis dorsali analique longis ; 

 pinnae dorsalis portione spinosa, artieulata separata ; pinnis pectoralis radiis 

 inferioribus ramosis; pinnis ventralibus jugularibus, I. 5; stomacho postice 

 expanso, caecis pyloricis paucibus. 



Body oblong or elongated, generally highest at or near the nape, and thence 

 slowly and regularly decreasing to the caudal fin, where it is most compressed; 

 anteriorly subcylindrical. Preanal region generally shorter than the head, 

 rarely longer. Skin covered with regularly imbricated scales of moderate size. 

 Lateral line running high on the sides and near the dorsal fin, rarely uninter- 

 rupted ; generally terminating near the end of the dorsal, and reappearing along 

 the middle on the sides of the tail, and tbence continued to the caudal fin. Head 

 moderate, scarcely or not at all compressed, with the snout moderate and little 

 decurved. Eyes moderate, lateral but partly visible from above. Infra-orbital 

 bones very small, and not articulated with the preoperculum. Opercular 

 bones all present, normally developed and unarmed. Nostrils double, between 

 each eye and the snout ; the anterior very small. Mouth terminal, with the 

 cleft lateral, and extending near the vertical of the eye. Upper jaw formed 

 chiefly by the premaxillary bones, which are scarcely protractile, the ascending 

 or posterior processes being very short. Supramaxillary bones expanded towards 

 the ends as usual, mostly retractile under the preorbital. Lips tumid. Teeth 

 acute, present on the jaws. Palatines smooth. Branchial apertures capacious. 

 Branchiostegal membrane below deeply emarginated behind, and provided on 

 each side with six rays. Pseudobranchiae developed. Dorsal fin double ; the 

 spinous portion commences near the nape, is short, and distinct from the soft 

 part; the latter is elongated. Anal fin little shorter than the soft dorsal, and 

 unarmed, with its rays divided like the dorsal, and the membrane notched be- 

 hind each. Candal fin moderately developed and not forked. Pectoral fins 

 well developed, with broad bases normally inserted on the scapular arch; its 

 lower rays are branched. Ventral fins jugular, each provided with a spine and 

 five branched rays, the third or fourth of which is generally longest; rarely 

 the second. The cranium is nearly or quite smooth above, and the crests and 

 ridges are rudimentary or obsolete. The vertebrae are in greatly increased 

 number; in one species (Notothenia purpureiceps, Rich.) there are forty-six, fifteen 

 of which are abdominal. The stomach is moderate and caecal. Pyloric ap- 

 pendages are present in small number (3 5). 



The family thus characterized is composed of forms that have been by most 

 authors referred partly to the family of Scisenoids and partly to that of Gobioids, 

 but which Dr. Giinther has recently placed together in this " family" of Tra- 

 chinidae, at the same time distributing them among two of his " groups." 



One of the forms alone was known to Cuvier. He referred it to the family of 

 Sciasnoids and named it Eleginus. In that family, it had been retained by 

 every naturalist until removed by Dr. Giinther. It appears, however, to have 

 very little affinity to any true Sciaenoid, and differs in almost every respect.. 



1861.] 34 



