FAMILY II. LEPIDOSTEID.E. 5 



some of the teeth in the jaws large and canine-like; tail heterocercal, 

 the vertebrae extending into the upper lobe of the tail; an accessory 

 gill on inner side of the opercle; spiral valve of intestines rudimentary. 

 This family is represented in North America by four species; 

 three of these have been taken in Mexico, the other one is found in 

 southeastern Texas, and probably occurs in the lower tributaries of 

 the Rio Grande. The fishes of this family are especially interesting, 

 because they are the last living relations of a laYge group of ganoid 

 fishes now extinct. 



2. Lepidosteus Lace"pede. 

 THE GARPIKES. 



Lepisosteus Lace"pede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 331, 1803. (Type, 



Lepisosteus gavialis Lac6pede= Esox osseus Linnaeus.) 

 AtractosteusR.afinesq\ie, Ich. Ohiensis, 72, 1820. (Type, Lepisosteus 

 ferox"R.afi.nesque= Lepidosteus tristcechtis Bloch & Schneider.) 

 Cylindrosteus Rafinesque, Ich. Ohiensis, 72, 1820. (Type, Lepisosteus 



platostomus Rafinesque.) 



Jaws with one or more series of teeth, some being enlarged and 

 fitting into a depression in the opposite jaw; usually some of the 

 anterior teeth movable ; teeth on vomer and palatines ; in the young 

 the anterior teeth are often enlarged. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF LEPIDOSTEUS. 



a. Large teeth of upper jaw in a single row on PAGE 



each side. 



b. Jaws long and slender; snout more than 



twice length of rest of head osseus 5 



bb. Jaws shorter and broader, little longer than 



rest of head [platystomus] 6 



aa. Large teeth of upper jaw in two series on 

 each side; jaws short and broad, not longer 

 .than rest of head. 



c. Scales 60 in the lateral series; dorsal rays 8 tristoechus 6 



cc. Scales 53 in the lateral series; dorsal rays 6 [tropicus] 7 



Subgenus Lepidosteus Lac6pede. 



2. Lepidosteus osseus (Linnaeus). LONG-NOSED GARPIKE; COMMON 



GARPIKE. 



Esox osseus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., Ed. x, 313, 1758; after Acus 

 maxima squamosa viridis of Artedi. 



