A REVIEW OF THE CARDINAL FISHES OF JAPAN. 



By David Stark Jordan and John Otterbein Snyder, 



Of tJie Leland Stanford Junior Unirersi([f. 



In the present paper the species of Apogonlda} known from the 

 waters of Japan are brought under consideration. It is based on col- 

 lections obtained by the authors in 1900 for Leland Stanford Junior 

 University, as well as upon a study of the Japanese fishes belonging- 

 to the United States National Museum. A series of duplicates of the 

 fishes collected by the authors has been placed in the United States 

 National Museum. 



Family APOGONID^E. 



CARDINAL FISHES. 



Body ol)long or elongate, sometimes compressed and elevated, covered 

 with rather large scales, which are striated and ctenoid, or sometimes 

 cycloid; cheeks scaly; lateral line continuous; cleft of mouth wnde, 

 oblique; villiform teeth on jaws and vomer, and sometimes on palatines; 

 canines sometimes present (teeth wanting in Bi'tpJiOxtoma)', preopercle 

 with a single or double ridge, its edges entire or serrated; opercular 

 spine little developed; lower pharyngeals separate, with sharp teeth; 

 pseudo-branehiie present; branchiostegals 6 or 7. Dorsal fins well 

 separated, the first with (> to !» rather strong spines; no dorsal sheath or 

 furrow; anal fin short, with 2 or 3 spines; ventral fins thoracic, I, 5, 

 without axillary scale. Gill-rakers slender; gill membranes separate, 

 free from the isthmus. . Small fishes of the Tropics, especially abun- 

 dant in the East Indies, some of them in fresh waters, most of them 

 in rather deep waters. In Japan, notwithstanding their small size, 

 thev have great importance in the markets as food-fishes. 



a. Yent posterior, not far from front of anal fin. 



b. Apogonimc. Anal spines 2; body oblong; teeth present, in jaws at least; preo- 

 percle with a double ridge. 

 c. Canine teeth none, the teeth all villiform; lateral line normal; palatines with 

 teeth. 

 (/. Scales large, 20 to 30 in lateral line. 



e. Preopercle with its margins entire; dorsal spines 7; anal with 8 to 12 soft 

 rays Apogonichtln/s. 1. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXIII— No. 1240. 



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