Jordayi and Evcrmann, — Fishes of North America. 1491 



ently really allied on the one hand to the Serranidce, with which group 

 Dr. Boulenger finds that the skeleton has much in common ; on the other 

 hand, they show affinities with the Scorpaniida'. Through such forms as 

 these the great group of Loricati or Mail-Cheek fishes may be connected 

 with their perch-like ancestors. (CirrMUda; Giinther, Cat., ii, 71-86, 1860.) 

 a. Teeth on vomer and palatines; jaws with canines; scales on cheeks very small; 

 dorsal spines 11 or 12. Cirrhites, 597. 



597. CIRRHITES, Lac^pede. 



Cirrhites, LACEPf:DE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 3, 1803 (maeulatus). 

 Cirrhitichthyt, GUNTH5R, Cat. Fishes, 11, 73, I860; not of Bleekee. 



Body oblong, compressed, formed much as in Sciccna, covered with large 

 cycloid scales; head rather obtuse; scales on cheeks very small; pre- 

 maxillaries not produced; teeth' on vomer and usually on palatines also ; 

 jaws with small canine teeth; anterior nostrils fringed; preopercle evenly 

 curved, its edge finely serrate. Soft parts of vertical fins scaled at base. 

 Dorsal rays 11 or 12 ; caudal truncate, (cirrhus, a lock of hair or a barbel ; 

 referring to the simple pectoral rays. *) 



a. Color green witli irregular spots and curved bands of dark brown, edged with 



pale blue. hivulatus, 1877. 



aa. Color yellowish with 4 complete oblique bands of black not edged with blue, 



besides black spots; caudal with a B-shaped black spot. betaurus, 1878. 



1877. CIRRHITES BIVULATUS, Valenciennes. 



Head2|; depth 3. U. X, 11; A. 111,6; scales 6-47-14. Eye 6 in head, 

 with opercular flap. Snout moderate, compressed, and rather elevated ; 

 maxillary extending to middle of eye; small bauds of villiform teeth in 

 jaws, an outer row of strong caniue-like teeth on the sides of jaws, with 

 strong canines towards the front, canines about ^; interorbital space 

 deeply concave, + in eye; a lov/ longitudinal median crest on crown of 

 head ; preopercle finely serrate behind in the young, entire in adult ; gill 

 rakers very short and thick, about 5-}- 10. The fourth, fifth, and sixth 

 dorsal spines longest, 4 in head, of moderate strength. Pectoral very 

 broad, rather short, not reaching tips of veotrals, its lower rays much 

 swollen. Second anal spine longer than third. Color brownish green, 

 with transverse dark-brown spots and short bands, all of which are edged 



margin minutely serrated ; interior ridge very low. Outlines of operculum very irregular ; 

 posterior margin notched, but tlierc are no spines; interior margin waved. Interoper- 

 culum bent, with side, joining suboperculuiu emarginate. Suboperculum elongated, with 

 posterior extremity produced beyond operculum. Preorbital broad, rhomboid. Space 

 between orbits rather narrow aiid'tiat. Occipital crest well developed, triangular; lateral 

 crests scarcely visible. Bones of liunieral arch rather strong, and both the coracoid 

 bones joined together by a long horizontal suture. Lower extremity of radius provided 

 with several peculiar processes. Pubic bonts rather elongate and narrow, each of them 

 formed by three lamella} of nearly ((lual devilniiment. Ten abdominal and 16 caudal 

 vertebra", length of former portion ot vcitclnal column being to that of caudal as 1 :1.5. 

 Neural and haemal spines of moderate length and strength, each of tlie interiieurals 

 dilated. The lirst interh<emal very strong, and evidently formed by 2 ; it has 2 ridges on 

 each side, and a low one anteriorly'." 



* Described by Lacepede as, " lies barbillons reunis par une membrane, et places aupres 

 de la pectorale, de maui^re U representer une nageoire"semblable ii cette derniere." 



