65. MUGILID^. 
401 
hh. Aual fin none; skeleton not ossified; candal rndiinentary, or not in 
the line of axis of body. 
TUACIlYPTEKIDiE, 100. 
DD. Suhorbital with bony stay. (Cottiform fishes.) 
V. Head not mailed. 
X. Slit behind fourth gill large; ^ody evenly 
scaled CHiuiDiE, 105. 
XX. Slit behind fourth gill small or wanting. 
y. Gill-membranes separate, free from 
isthmus; ventral fins normally 
formed, mostly I, 5. 
SCOKP^XID.E, 106. 
yy. Gill-membranes broadly joined, at- 
tached to the isthmus or not; 
■ ventral fins variously imperfect. 
COTTIDAS, 107. 
vv. Head mailed, externally bony. 
2 . Ventrals few-rayed, close together; 
last gill-slit obsolete. 
CC. Breast with a sucking-disk. 
/ 
AGONID.E, 107 (&). 
22 . Ventrals 1, 4, or I, 5, usually wide 
apart ; last gill-slit large. 
TRIGLID.E, 108. 
a. Gill-openings narrow; spinous dor- 
sal little developed; sucking-disk 
formed of the united ventral fins ; 
pyloric coeca numerous; snbor- 
bital with a bony stay. 
i. Skin smooth; vertebrce very nu- 
merous Lipauidid/E, 109. 
bb. Skin tubercular; vertebraj rather 
few Cyclopterid^, 110. 
aa. Gill-openings wide; spinous dorsal 
wanting; sucking-disk between 
the ventral fins; no pyloric coeca; 
body naked-. .Gobiesocid.e, 111. 
Family LXY.— MUGILID^. 
{The Mullets.) 
Body oblong, more or less compressed, covered witli rather large 
cycloid scales ; no lateral line, bat the farrows often deepened on the 
middle of each scale so as to form lateral streaks. Month small, termi- 
nal. Jaws with small teeth, or none; iiremaxillaries protractile. Gill- 
openings wide, th« membranes separate, free from the isthmus. Bran- 
chiostegals 5 or C. Gill-rakers long and slender. Gills 4, a slit^ehind 
fourth. Pseudobranchim large. Two short dorsal fins, well separated, 
the anterior with 4 stiff spines, the last one of which is much shorter 
than the others; second dorsal long' r than the first, similar to anal; 
Bull. Xat. Mas. ]S"o. 16 26 
