the relationship and osteology of the caproid 

 fishp:s or antioonhd.e. 



By Edwin Chapin Starks, 



Of the Le/uiKl Siaujnrd Jinunr University. 



]NTK()l)r(TI()X. 



The osteolof^ical characters of the family Anti,o()niiflie (Caproida^) 

 a,s exhibited by the Japanese sp(M'i(^s Aiiiujoiiht ni})exct'u>< (SchU^o-<d) 

 point to an affinity with the Cha'todonts. 'I'he following- characters 

 seem to indicate a rather close relationship: 



1. Til*' striding mnilai'ity in cqypeamnct' mid conMruction of tJte 

 craidum to that of the genu^ Chsetodoii. 



2. The continuity of the supraoccijjital c rent vrith the jderotic creKt. 

 In \)oi\\ Antigonia and Chsetodoii the supraoccipital crest is high and 



declivitous; its anterior edge is thickened to a ridge on each side, which 

 descends in a curve, and is continuous ba<-kwa''d with the pterotic 

 crest. 



3. TJw s/iHjde imforked posttemj)oT<d . 



In Chivtodon the posttemporal is a simple, straight bone, with a 

 slight tubercle developed at its lower end (in place of the usual lower 

 fork) for attachment to the opisthotic. The po«ttemporal in Antigonia 

 shows even a greater degree of modification, the tubercle })eing entirely 

 absent. 



4. Tlie iiiipeifontteprefrontals. 



In the bony fishes the olfactory foramen is typically through the 

 center of the prefrontal. In Antigonia it is between the prefrontal 

 and the ethmoid. CJi^todon and IFolocanthaK approach the latter con- 

 dition in having the foramen barely contained It}' the prefrontal. Onh' 

 a slight lamina of bone saves it from being between the })refrontal and 

 the ethmoid. 



5. The meeting of the alisphenoid.s and rniisr(ji(riit division <f the 

 anterior opening to the hrain case. 



A character shared by Antigo7i,(i^ Chmhidon^ and Ilohicanfhiis, 

 ^ 6. The enlarged first interhmmal. 



■^ The first interhsemal in the Chsetodonts and in Antigonia is very 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXV— No. 1 297. 



565 



