Jordan and Evcnnami. — Fishes of North America. 1659 



Scarus perrico, Jokdan & Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1881, 357, Mazatlan (Type, Ko. 



28328. Coll. C. H. Gilbert) ; Jordan, Review Labroid Pishes, G88, 1890. 

 Scarus iwrricq, Jordan, Fishes of Sinaloa, in Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. 1895, 483. 



Group ZEOIDEA. 



This group contains the single family Zcidcc. Its relationships are 

 uncertain, the armature and the increased number of the ventral rays 

 indicating relationship to the Bcrycidcv, while the attachment of the post- 

 temporal to the skull suggests affinity with the Tcutliididw. 



Family CLXII. ZEID^l 



(The John Dories.) 



Body short, deep, much compressed and elevated, naked or covered 

 with minute smooth scaler, or with bony protuberances. Mouth large, 

 terminal, the upper jaw ijrotractile. Teeth small, in narrow bands or 

 single series on the jaws and vomer and sometimes on the palatines. 

 Eyes lateral, placed high; opercle much reduced; some of the bones of 

 head usually with spines; preoi)ercle not serrate. Post-temporal very 

 firmly attached to the skull; lower limb adnate for its whole length; 

 the distal end only of its upper limb is attached. The supra-clavicle 

 short and triangular, bearing a short spine near its anterior angle, its 

 posterior edge divided into 3 spines, 2 or 3 of which stand out aljove 

 the surface of the skin. Ventral edge often serrate, with strong bony 

 plates. Lateral line well developed, concurrent with the back. Branchi- 

 ostegals 7 or 8. Gill openings wide, the membranes little united, free 

 from the isthmus. Pseudobranchiic hirge. Air bladder birge. Gill rakers 

 usually short; gills 4, a slit behind the fourth. Dorsal fin emarginate or 

 divided, the anterior part with spines, which are often strong, the pos- 

 terior part longer, its highest rays behind the middle; soft anal entirely 

 similar to soft dorsal, usually preceded by 1 to 4 spines which are not 

 graduated and which often form a separate fin; ventral fins thoracic, 

 well developed, their rays usually I, 6 to I, 8;* pectorals small; caudal 

 fin rounded, on a moderate peduncle. Lateral line obscuie, unarmed. 

 Pyloric Cieca exceedingly numerous. Vertebra' about 32 (Zeus). Genera 

 8; species about 15; fishes of singular appearance, inhabiting warm seas, 

 often at considerable depth. The species undergo great changes in the 

 course of development. Tlie ''John Dory" {Zens fahcr) is a well-known 

 food-fish of southern Europe. The relations of this family are not evi- 

 dent, and it should form a distinct group or superfamily. The increased 

 number of ventral rays and the armature of the belly suggest relationship 

 with the Berycoids; the adnate post- temj)oral suggests the Cha^todonts. 

 Not having any better arrangement to suggest, we leave the Zeid(e in 

 association with the Cluviodontidiv, removing them from the neighborhood 

 of the Scomliroid forms, to which they bear only the most superficial resem- 



■ Said to be I, 5 in Oreosoma, which may be an error iu counting. 



