1888.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 575 



Jii 181)1, Dr. Giiuther, in the third volume of his catalogue, proposed 

 a new classification of the Acanthopterygian fishes,* which he dis- 

 tributed ainoug nineteen groups, among which were (1) Acanthopterygii 

 perciformes, (8) Acanthopterygii cottoscombriformes, and (10) A cant hop. 

 terygii blenniformes. To each of those groups he referred certain of the 

 mail-cheeked fishes, and elevated the four " groups" of the old family 

 to family rank. 



The Acanthopterygii perciformes were saidf to have the "body 

 more or less compressed, elevated or oblong, but not elongate; the 

 vent is remote from the extremity of the tail, behind the ventral fins 

 if they are present; no prominent anal papilla; no super-branchial 

 organ; dorsal fin or fins occupying the greater portion of the back; 

 spinous dorsal well developed, generally with stiff spines, of moderate 

 extent, rather longer than or as long as the soft ; the soft anal similar to 

 the soft dorsal, of moderate extent or rather short; ventrals thoracic, 

 with one spine and with four or five rays." 



To this group the family of Scorpcvnidw was referred. 



The Acanthopterygii cotto-scombriformes were said! to have 

 "spines developed in one of the tins at least; dorsal tins either contiguous 

 or close together; the spinous dorsal, if present, always short ; sometimes 

 modified into tentacles, or into a suctorial disk ; soft dorsal always 

 long, if the spinous is abseut; aual similarly developed as the soft dor- 

 sal, and both generally much longer than the spinous, sometimes termi- 

 nating in finlets; ventrals thoracic or jugular, if present, never modi- 

 fied into an adhesive apparatus; no prominent anal papilla." 



In this group were placed the families Cottidce and Cataphracti. as 

 well as one subsequently added, called PsychroJutida\ 



The Acanthopterygii blenniiformes were defined § as having the 

 "body low, subcylindrical or compressed, elongate; dorsal fin very 

 long; the spinous portion of the dorsal, if distinct, is very long, as well 

 developed as the soft, or much more; sometimes the entire fin is com- 

 posed of spines only ; anal fin more or less long ; caudal fin sub- 

 truncated, or rounded if present; ventral fins thoracic or jugular, if 

 present." 



In this group was included the family Heterolcpidotidce. 



When the definitions of the several groups thus reproduced are ana- 

 lyzed, and especially when their constituents are taken into considera- 

 tion, it becomes evident that the essential characteristics of the three 

 groups are to be found in the comparative length of the spinous and 

 soft portions of the dorsal and the length of the anal, while all the 



* Systematic synopsis of the families of the Acanthopterygiau fishes. Appendix to 

 v. 3(10 pp.). The diagnoses of these groups are quoted from a later work of the 

 same author, "An Introduction to the Study of Fishes," 1880. They are essentially 

 the same as in the " Systematic Synopsis." 



tOp. cit., p. 374. 



JOp. cit., p. 438. 



§Op. cit,, p. 490. 



