Jordan and Evermami. — Fishes of North America. 1543 



Ins, but not extended in a long flap ; lower lip parted in tbc middle and 

 depending on each side as a flap; jaws eacli with a hand of small teeth, 

 the ])aud increasing rapidlj^ in width toward the front, the outer teeth 

 somewhat enlarged, their tips golden brown ; the small dot-shaped nostril 

 nearer eye than snout; preorbital about twice diameter of eye, twice as 

 long as wide, and without scales ; opercle and preopercle entirely scaled, 

 the iuteropercle scaleless. Dorsal spines moderate, the length of the first 

 about 2 in eye, that of the eighth about | eye; soft dorsal falcate, the 

 first rays produced, reaching middle of caudal, \l in head; anal rays 

 strong, graduated, the third equal to length of longest dorsal spine ; soft 

 portion of anal falcate, resembling the corresponding part of the dorsal, 

 the rays of about the same length ; pectoral reaching origin of anal, \\ in 

 head; ventral falcate, the first ray produced and nearly as long as pec- 

 toral, the spine equal to third anal spine. Anterior portion of lateral line 

 with 20 pores, the posterior part with about 12, the line broken under the 

 last dorsal rays. Color in alcohol, brownish above, lower parts yellowish, 

 the scales bordered with dark brown; traces of 4 or 5 darker cross bars; 

 cheek blue. Panama (Steindachner) ; not seen by us. (crasaus, thick; 

 labrum, lip.) 



Geophagus (Satanoperca) crassilabris, Steindachnek, Ichth. Beitr., v, 17, iil. 7, 187G, Isth- 

 mus of Panama, near Candelaria. 



Family CLIX. POMACENTEIDiE. 



(The Demoiselles.) 



Body short, deep, compressed, covered with ctenoid scales of varying 

 size; lateral line wanting posteriorly; mouth small, usually with rather 

 strong teeth, either conic or incisor-like; vomer and palatines toothless; 

 nostril single on each side, nearly round; preopercle with its posterior 

 edge largely free, serrate or entire ; preorbital sheathing the small maxil- 

 lary ; dorsal fin single, with numerous strong spines, the spinous portion 

 longer than the soft, which is similar to the soft anal, both fins scab at 

 base; anal spines 2; ventral fins thoracic, I, 5, the anterior rayfe longest, 

 usually filamentous; a scaly appendage at base of ventral. Lower phar- 

 yngeals fully united; branchiostegals 5 to 7; gills 3.V, the slit behind the 

 last gill very small or obsolete; gill rakers rather long and slender; no 

 labyrinthiform appendage; air bladder and psendobranchia) present; 

 pyloric cieca 2 or 3; gill membranes free from the isthmus. Vertebr:e 

 12-fl4=26. Fishes of the tropical seas, similar in mode of life to the 

 Cha-todonfidw, feeding on small marine animals and plants in the coral 

 reefs. Genera 15 ; species about 180, most of them too small to be used 

 as food. They are very active in life and the coloration is usually bril- 

 liant, sometimes changing much with age. The family shows strong affini- 

 ties with the Lahridw in its gill structures and pharyngeals. In other 

 respects it approaches the Kjiphosidce, while the unique character of the 

 simple nostril is shared with the Cichlidte only, from ancestors of which 



