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PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Lycodapus, generally placed among the zoarceoids, is another fish 

 with the gill openings extending far forward, but the relationships 

 of this fish seem open to question. 



Another feature that may be associated with wide gill openings is 

 the branchiostegal ray number. Thus, in most Blennioidei, there are 

 six branchiostegal rays, but in the Bovictidae and frequently in the 

 Trichonotidae, there are seven. Among the zoarceoids, however, the 

 Anarhichadidae, with the gill membranes broadly joined to the 

 isthmus, also have seven. Makushok (1958, p. 21) considers the con- 

 dition in anarchichadids to represent a secondary increase. 



Suspensorium (fig. 8). — The suspensorium develops various modi- 

 fications among the Blennioidei, but it is difficult to evaluate these 

 phylogenetically. 



Figure 8. — Right suspensoria and opercular bones: a, Prolatilus jugularis; b, Bathymaster 

 signatus; c, Trachinus draco; d, Notograptus guttatus. (hc = Hyomandibular crest, hs = 

 hyomandibular spine, in = interspace between upper and lower portions of suspensorium, 

 mc= metapterygoid crest, mo=mesopterygoid, ms = metapterygoid strut, sy = 

 symplectic.) 



The parapercid genus Prolatilus (fig. 8a) seems to be the only 

 member of the Blennioidei to retain the rather typical percoid metap- 

 terygoid strut (Katayama, 1958). 



Across the surface of the back of the suspensorium, various crests 

 develop for muscular attachment. Among the parapercids, such a 

 ridge runs anteroventrally across the hyomandibidar. In zoarcids 

 (fig. 86), it is usually on the metapterygoid. In Trachinus and urano- 

 scopids, the hyomandibular sends forward a hooklike process (fig. 8c). 



Various members of the Blennioidei lose a firm attachment between 

 the anterior and posterior portions of the suspensorium. Among such 



