head; body deep and much compressed 



Family ACHIRIDAE Soles 



(Many marine genera and species) 

 Order THORACOSTEI 



Sides more or less covered with bony plates; pelvic fins subab- 



dominal 



Family GASTEROSTEIDAE Sticklebacks 

 Order PERCOMORPHI 



With spiny fins; premaxillary forming whole border of side of 



upper jaw; no Weberian apparatus; air bladder typically without 



duct; lower pharyngeals usually separated 



Family ATHERINIDAE Silversides 



(Several tropical or marine genera and species) 



Family PERCIDAE Perches 



Family ETHEOSTOMIDAE Darters 



Family CENTRARCHIDAE Black Basses and Sunfishes 



Family ELASSOMIDAE Pigmy Sunfishes 



Family MORONIDAE White Basses 



Family SCIAENIDAE Drums or Croakers 

 (Several tropical or marine genera and species) 

 Order CATAPHRACTI 



A bony process (suborbital stay) extending from below eye across 



cheek (usually concealed by skin) ; pelvic fins thoracic or lacking 



Family COTTIDAE Sculpins 

 (Many marine genera and species) 

 Order HOLCONOTI 



Resembling Percomorphi, but viviparous and with lower pharyu' 



geals united 



Family EMBIOTOCIDAE Surf-fishes 

 (Several marine genera and species) 

 Order CHROMIDES 



Resembling Percomorphi, but with the lower pharyngeals united 



and with a single nostril opening on each side 



Family CICHLIDAE Cichlids 

 (Many tropical genera and species) 

 Order GOBOIDEA 



Pelvic fins thoracic, close together or joined; usually no air blad' 



der; no pyloric caeca; superficially like Etheostornidae, but without 



lateral line and with gill membranes joined to isthmus 



Family ELEOTRIDAE Sleepers 



Family GOBIIDAE Gobies 



(Many marine species in tropical waters) 



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