40 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 124 



evolved from is not clear to me. They are, in any event, much more 

 highly specialized than the Jugulares in a number of respects (Regan, 

 1912b), and perhaps they are excluded most easily because of their 

 rigid attachment of the post-temporal to the cranium. The Calliony- 

 midae, Draconettidae, and Gobiesocidae appear to have been de- 

 rived from one of the Jugulares groups (see fig. 12). Once again, how- 

 ever, they are specialized sufficiently to warrant separation. They 

 may be removed most easily by the absence of a metaperygoid. 



The net effect of the restrictions outlined above is to eliminate a 

 number of groups from Jordan's (1923) Jugulares. Such excluded 

 groups are: the suborder Haplodoci, the series Callionymiformes, 

 Ammodytiform.es, Brotuliform.es, Ophidiiformes, and Carapiformes, 

 and the families Chiasmodontidae, Opistognathidae, Owstoniidae, 

 Champsodontidae, and Cerdalidae. (In the families Chiasmodontidae 

 [Norman, 1929] and Owstoniidae [Kamohara, 1935], the position of 

 the pelvics, judging from illustrations, is somewhat variable but 

 hardly warrants their inclusion in Jordan's Jugulares. These two 

 families will not be mentioned further here.) The fishes in the re- 

 maining families of Jordan's (1923) Jugulares are those comprising 

 the group to be dealt with here. These fishes may be defined as follows: 

 Symmetrical acanthopteran fishes with the pelvic fins, when 

 present, inserted ahead of the pectorals. Dorsal and posterior soft anal 

 rays exactly equal in number to the vertebrae between them. Caudal 

 fin usually rounded; when forked, it is not preceded by a constricted 

 peduncle supported by several fused vertebrae or by blade like neural 

 and hemal spines. Metapterygoid and parietal bones present. Post- 

 temporal movably attached to cranium. 



Though the group herein dealt with is closest to the Jugulares of 

 Jordan (1923), as noted above, it will be called, henceforth, the sub- 

 order Blennioidei, to bring the subordinal nomenclature into line 

 with that usually used in fishes. 



Morphological Characters 



General features. — As compared with the percoids, the Blen- 

 nioidei (for the families included in this suborder as herein understood 

 see table 3) have less deep, compressed bodies. The abdominal region 

 of the Blennioidei frequently is rather short, with the anus relatively 

 far forward and with the caudal portion of the body always more or 

 less attenuated. Dorsal and anal fins are low and long, usually ending 

 posteriorly close to the outer caudal rays, and frequently extending 

 farther forward than is usual in percoids. The caudal and pectoral 

 fins usually are rounded. The gas bladder is generally absent in the 

 adult. 



