no. 3647 PERCIFORM FISHES — GOSLINE 59 



Superfamily Trachinoidae ( =Trachinidae, Uranoscopidae, Lep- 

 toscopidae and Dactyloscopidae). — Head compressed or rounded. 

 Two external nostrils on each side. Gill openings extending far for- 

 ward. Circumorbital bones firmly connected, more or less expanded 

 onto the cheek, sometimes with a subocular shelf on the second. 

 Medial tabular firmly attached, but not fused to parietal. Front and 

 rear of the suspensorium firmly connected. Prootic not forming a part 

 of the internal border of the orbit. Basisphenoid present. 



Pectoral actinosts four, broad or columnar, the upper pectoral ray 

 articulating with the scapula. Pelvic fins with a spine and five soft 

 rays (except Dactyloscopidae), the interspace between them less than 

 the distance across one pelvic base (except Leptoscopidae). 



The trachinoids possess two additional characters in which, to my 

 knowledge, they are unique among the suborder Blennioidei. In the 

 pelvic girdle, the ridge on which the pelvic spine rides extends forward 

 into a point. This point may lie adjacent to its fellow on the opposite 

 side of the midline, as in Trachinus, Leptoscopus, and Dactyloscopus, 

 or form a more laterally located projection from the flesh, as in the 

 Uranoscopidae. The second peculiarity is that at least Trachinus and 

 Uranoscopus have a bony point extending forward from the outer 

 surface of the posterior rim of the hyomandibular (fig. 8c). Further 

 similarities are as follows : In all four families, the scapular foramen is 

 very large and, except in the Leptoscopidae (Starks, 1930, p. 226), 

 extends to the cleithrum. All four families have a low number of 

 abdominal vertebrae (10-12) for the Blennioidei. Certain other 

 tendencies among the trachinoids may be associated with their habit 

 of living in the sand or mud. One is the development, in some trachinids 

 and uranoscopids, of a continuity between adjacent scale edges to 

 form ridges extending down and back across the body. Another is for 

 the mouth to have a fringed border. Finally, the circumorbital bones 

 are more or less expanded down over the cheek; armature is usually 

 developed; and the top of the head is frequently rugose. 



The Trachinoidae is made up of tropical and temperate marine 

 fishes occurring on soft bottoms in which they bury themselves up to 

 the eyes (Gill, 1907). 



On the basis of the reduction in pelvic ray number in the Dactylo- 

 scopidae, Kegan (1912d) placed this family in a different suborder 

 from the Uranoscopidae and Leptoscopidae. Starks (1923) pointed out 

 the artificiality of this procedure. On the other hand, Starks denied 

 any relationship between the Trachinidae and the "uranoscopoid" 

 families. To me, the evidence to the contrary given above seems 

 wholly convincing. 



Superfamily Congrogadoidae (=Congrogadidae, Notograptidae, 

 and provisionally the Peronedyidae) . — Head compressed or rounded. 



