NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 237 



BB. Body oblftng. Scales small. Teeth recumbent behind 

 canines. 

 Preoperculum entire, or simply serrated below. 



Scales smooth and greasy to the touch. D. XI Lioperca. 



Scales rough. D. XI. (X., XII.) Epinephelus. 



Scales rough. D. IX Bodianus. 



Preoperculuin beneath with one or more spines recurved 

 forwards. 

 Preoperculum with a single plectroid spine at its angle. 



D. VIII Gonioplectrus. 



Preoperculum with one or two spurs below. D. XI. 



D. XI. 18 19. Pyloric caeca 8 Prospinus. 



D. XI. 14. Pyloric caeca numerous and subdivided Schistorus. 



Preoperculum serrated below. D. X. 1415 Hypopiectrus. 



The American genera of Lutjaninse may be distinguished as follows : 



I. Caudal forked and with slender acute lobes Ocyurus. 



II. Caudal emarginated. 



Vomerine teeth in a triangular patch. 



Profile straight ; occiput crested Lutjanus. 



Profile gibbous; occiput flattened Platyinius. 



Vomerine teeth in a rhombic patch Rhomboplites. 



The Chilodipteroidse of Bleeker are represented by three genera in Cuba, 

 which ought, perhaps, to be placed among two subfamilies. 



AMIINJE or APOGONINiE. 

 Amia, Gron. (== Monoprion, Poey.) 



SCOMBROPIN^I. 



Sco?nbrops, Temm. et Schlegel, Sphyrcenops, Grill. 



The genera Amia, Gr. or Apogon, Lac. and Apogonichthys, Bikr. and Giin- 

 ther are also exceedingly closely related, and perhaps scarcely worthy of 

 generic distinction. 



The family of Berycoidse, as established by Mr. Lowe, is, perhaps, natural, 

 and possibly embraces all the forms referred to it by that gentleman and Dr. 

 Giinther, except Polymixia, Lowe, which is apparently the type of a distinct 

 one, having analogical relations to the Mulloidse. Of five subfamilies* (Bery- 

 cinse, Holocentrinae, Heterophthalminse, Trachichthyinas and Monocentrinae) 

 of the Berycoidse, two are represented by four genera in Cuba, Holocentrum, 

 Art., Plectrypops, Gill (Holocentrum retrospinis, Guich.) and Myriopristis, Cuv. 

 among the Holocentrinae and Beryx among the Berycinae. The living Holo- 

 centrinae may be distributed as follows : 



I. Snout more or less projecting. 



Snout acute and trihedral Rhynchichthys 



Snout convex in front (Rh. brachyrhynchus, Blkr.) Rhinoberyx. 



II. Snout not projecting in front. 



A. Penultimate anal spine very long. 



Preoperculum angulated and armed with a large spine, 



nearly continuous with the lower margin Holocentrum. 



AA. Penultimate anal spine moderate. 



Preoperculum not rectangular nor with a single large 

 spine. 



a. Preorbital with large teeth curved backwards Corniger. 



13. Preorbital with large teeth curved forwards Plectrypops. 



y. Preorbital simply dentated Myriopristis. 



* These subfamilies, if such they be, are remarkably distinguished from each olher by 

 the difference in development of the fins, &c. 



1862.] 



