Jordan and Evermann. — Fishes of North America. 787 



Scolopsis sayanns, GiLLiAMS, Joiirn. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., iv, 1824, 81, near Philadelphia. 

 Aphredodertis gibho/nii', Le Sueur, in ('uvitT and Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Puiss., ix, 448, 1833 



Lake Pontchartrain. 

 Sltruolreijiiu isolfpis, Nelson, Bull. 111. Lab. Nat. Hist., i, 39, 1870, Calumet River, Illinois. 

 Axihndodenis cuol.ianux, Jordan, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1877, On, Sawyer's Creek, Ken- 



dallville, Indiana. (Coll. Dr. G. M. Lcvette.) 

 Asieniotreniia nieiidlreiua, Jordan, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., x, .5'J, 1877, Flint River, Georgia. 



(Type, No. 020G. Coll. Hugh M. Neisler.) 

 Aphredoderiis sayniinis, Jord/lH &, GlhSERT, Synopsis, 460, 1883; Blatciilev, Pruc. Ac. Nat. Sci. 



Phila., 1885, 136. 



In a natural system, the Pcrcopsidw should apparently ho followed hy 

 the Aphredoderido', Elassomid<r, and Percidcv, the great modern group of 

 spiny-rayed fishes having douhtless originated from some such stock as 

 that of which the PercopmJa'. form a remnant. The exigencies of a linear 

 arrangement require us to interrupt the series to find place for the groups 

 Percesoces, Phegnopteri, and Beri)coidei, probably archaic, transitional or 

 degenerate types, of diverse relations, but all of them branching off from 

 the physoclystous stock before the character of the spinous fins had 

 reached its full development. 



Suborder PERCESOCES. 



Ventral fins abdominal. I, 5; branchial arches well developed, the 

 bones all present except the fourth superior bramhihyal. Third superior 

 pharyngeal much enlarged; lower pharyngeals distinct. Scales cycloid. 

 Pectorals elevated, about on a level with the upper posterior angle of 

 operculum ; spinous dorsal usually present. 



as usual in Peicoid tishes; as in the young flounder the eyes are symmetrical, hut 

 grows older, its aberrant characters become developed. 



" The following table shows the position of the vent in 26 specimens: 



" No other conclusion seems possible from the above except that the vent moves forward a,<! the 

 fish grows older, by the lengthening of the horizontivl part of the intestine or "rectum" of the 

 fish. Sternotremin isolejiis is the young, Slernolretnia inesolrema the half grown, aud .Iphododenis 

 cookimivs the adult of one and the same fish." (Jordan, 1877.) 



