44 A Guide to the Zoological Collections 



Family III. Mtillidce [Case 55]. 



The Red Mullets are marine carnivorous fishes, the 

 great majority of which are confined to tropical seas. 

 Fourteen species, belonging to three genera that are 

 separated by very slight differences of dentition, occur 

 in Indian limits. They are all very good to eat. 



Family IV. Spari&ce [Case 54] . 



The Sea-breams are Perciform fishes that possess 

 curious specialized teeth for stripping and crushing the 

 shell-fish [Molluscd] upon which they largely feed. They 

 inhabit tropical and temperate seas, and twenty species, 

 belonging to seven different genera, are found in Indian 

 waters. They are all esteemed as food. 



Sargus noct and Crenidens forskalii, two of the Indian 

 species, also occur in the Mediterranean. The genera 

 Sargus, Pagrus, and Chrysophrys are all found off the 

 Atlantic coasts of North America, in the Mediterranean, 

 and off the coasts of India. 



Family V. Cirrhitidce [Case 53]. 



These are Perch-like fishes which are distinguished by 

 having the lower pectoral rays thickened and unbranch- 

 ed, so as to form either auxiliary organs of locomotion 

 or organs of touch. Four species, belonging to two 

 genera, are found in the seas of India. 



Family VI. Scorpamidce [Case 53]. 



The Scorpcenidce are a largish family of marine, carni- 

 vorous, Perciform fishes, and are characterized by having 

 a bony stay or buttress across the cheek, and the bones 

 of the head and gill-covers usually armed with spines. 



Many of them live among coral-reefs and have the 

 fin-rays curiously lengthened and fringed, and the skin 



