194 GIANT FISHES 



a. The fleshy pad at the front of the head 

 forms a single, bluntly pointed or 

 rounded lobe . Eagle Rays (p. 70). 



au. The fleshy pad at the front of the head 

 is divided into four lobes 

 Cow-nosed Rays or Whipparees (p. 79). 

 zz. There is a single row of long, bar-like teeth 

 in each jaw ; the upper surface has 

 numerous round, pale spots 



Spotted Eagle Ray (p. 78). 



xx. The front parts of the pectoral rins are 



separated off to form projecting horn-like 



cephalic fins placed on either side of the 



mouth ; there is a single small dorsal fin at 



the base of the short, whip-like tail ; the 



teeth in the jaws are very small and 



numerous. 



b. The mouth is wide and is placed at the end 



of the head ; teeth are present only in the 



lower jaw . . Manta or Greater 



Devil-fish (p. 81). 

 bb. The mouth is less wide and is placed on the 

 under side of the head ; teeth are present 

 in both jaws or only in the lower jaw 



Small or Lesser Devil-fish (p. 84). 



II. There is only 1 external gill-opening on each side, or 

 the gills are entirely protected by a bony gill-cover 

 (Bony Fishes). 

 a. Pelvic fins are normally present. 



b. The pelvic fins are never placed farther forward than 

 the level of the middle of the pectoral fins (when 

 the latter are lying flat against the body). 

 c. There is only 1 dorsal hn, composed entirely of 

 soft-rays. 

 D. The body is without normal scales, but has 5 

 rows of large bony scutes ; the mouth is small, 

 round, funnel-like, and placed on the under 

 side of the head ; there is a transverse row 

 of 4 barbels or feelers in front of the mouth 



Sturgeons (p. 88). 

 dd. The body is covered with thin, overlapping 

 scales, but there are no rows of large scutes ; 

 the mouth is never round or funnel-like, and 

 is placed at the end of the head ; there is no 

 row of barbels in front of the mouth. 



