NO. i?,i9. SOME JAPANESE FISHES— JORDAN AND STARKS 527 



jjfound in all warm seas, sometimes entering i-ivers. Their habits are 

 Ordinarily much like those of the pike, hut when startled they swim 

 jalono- the surface with extraordinary rapidity, often leaping above 

 jthe water for short distances. When thus leaping the large species 

 |of the tropic-s are sources of danger to incautious fishermen, sometimes 

 piercing the naked abdomen of the natives. Most of them are good 

 food-lishes, l)ut the green color of the bones of the larger species often 

 causes them to be avoided, for no good reason. 



a. (Jill rakers wanting; no teeth on vomer; anterior rays of dorsal and anal elevated. 



Tylosurus, 1. 

 1. TYLOSURUS Cocco. 



Tylosurus Cotx'o, "Lettere in Uiornale Sci. Sicilia, X\'ll," 1829, p. 18 (can- 

 trami^mperiaiis). 



Body elongate, very slender, not nuu-h compressed. Both jaws pro- 

 longed into a beak, the lower jaw somewhat the longer, much the 

 longer in young tisiies. the ver}^ young resembling IIe//nnunjj/it(s. 

 Each jaw armed with a band of small, sharp teeth, beside which is a 

 series of longer, wide-set, sharp, conical, unequal teeth; no teeth on 

 vomer or palatines. Scales small, thin; lateral line running along the 

 side of the belly, becoming median on the tail. No Unlets. Dorsal fin 

 more or less elevated anteriorly; caudal fin short, unequally lunated or 

 forked; pectorals 'moderate; ventrals small, the latter inserted behind 

 the middle of the body. Gill rakers obsolete. Bones usually more or 

 less green. Size comparatively large, Species luimerous. Voraci- 

 ous fishes, chiefi}' American; one .species crossing to Europi;; some of 

 them entering rivers. This genus differs from the Old World genus, 

 Bf'Joiie Cuvier, in the absence of gill rakers and of vomerine teeth. 



[TvXoi:^ callus; ovpa^ tail; in allusion to the caudal keel, on which 

 the genus was originally based, a character of little importance.) 



rt. Dorsal rays aljout 25. 

 h. Lateral line not forming a black keel on caudal peduncle. Posterior dorsal rays 

 produced to form a rounded lobe aa high or nearly as high as produced ante- 

 rior lobe, these rays longest in the young. Jaws slender and long; upper jaw 

 from anterior orbital rim 2j times longer than length of rest of head. 



ftchismatorhynchus, 1. 

 hh. liateral line extending on caudal peduncle, forming a low black keel. 

 '•. Jaws short and stout; upper jaw from anterior orbital rim If longer than rest 



of head; posterior rays of dorsal elevated; size very large giyanteus, 2. 



'•<■. Jaws slender and long; posterior rays of dorsal short; body scarcely com- 

 pressed coroiniiiidelicKs, 3. 



iui. Dorsal rays alujut 18; posterior rays of dorsal short. Body much compre.<sed, 

 the width one-half the depth; i-audal peduncle much compressed, without 

 keel anastomella, 4. 



