ICHTHYOLOGY 



OF 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 



FAMILY FEnCIDJE. — amer. 



Chaeacters. Body elongated, more or less compressed, and covered with ad- 

 herent scales, generally hard, with their exposed surfaces roughened, and their free 

 posterior margin ciliated or serrated; opercular bones serrated or spinous; jaws 

 not cuirassed ; superior margin of the mouth formed by the inter-maxillaries ; 

 teeth on the inter-maxillaries, the inferior maxillary, vomer, palate, and pharyngeal 

 bones ; these teeth are brush-like in some, in others they are conical, and are more 

 or less developed ; tongue in some smooth, in others armed with minute teeth ; 

 dorsal fin single or double ; anterior part spinous ; ventral fins mostly thoracic ; 

 no barbels at the chin. 



GENUS PEECA. — Lin., Cuvier. 



Characters. Body elongated, sub-compressed ; inter-maxillary, inferior maxil- 

 lary, vomerine, palatine, and pharyngeal teeth villiform, equal; tongue smooth; 

 internal surface of the branchial arches armed with minute teeth ; two dorsal 

 fins, distinct, separated, anterior spinous ; free margin of the pre-opercle serrated ; 

 opercle ends in a flattened point ; branchial rays seven. 

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