576 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxvn. 



Fishes of the cold seas, living among rocks or kelp, most of them of 

 small size and fantastic form, not valued as food. 



a. TiLESiNiNiE: Spinous dorsal present, the spines 18 or 19 in nunilier; anal rays 



more than 20; soft dorsal short Tileshia, 1 



cut. Spinous dorsal present, its spines 5 to 12 in number. 

 b. Gill membranes free from the isthnuis. 



<:. Pekcidin.e: Body compressed; lower jaw not projectinfj; plates of body spin- 

 ous; first dorsal at nape. 

 (/. Lower pectoral rays not free. 



e. Teeth on vomer; no occipital spines; no barbel on snout I'ercis, 2 



ee. No teeth on vomer; snout with a long barbel; occipital spines present. 



Agonomalus, 3 

 dd. Lower pectoral rays, 7 or 8, wholly free; body short and high. 



Hiipsagonus, 4 

 iX. Brachyopsin^e: Body more or less depressed; lower jaw projecting; plates 

 of body spinous or not; first dorsal behind nape. 

 /. Chin without terminal barbel. 



g. Bones of snout short (not produced in form of a tube); plates of 

 body spinous; vomer and palatines with some teeth; breast with 



large plates Occa, 5 



gg. Bones of snout produced into a long tulie which bears the short 

 jaws at the end; body rather robust, the plates with spines. 



Bracliyopsis, 6 



ff. A barbel at tip of chin, snout long (produced into form of a tube, 



as in Syngnathklsc) ; body subterete, very slender, its plates not 



spinous Pidlasitxi, 7 



bb. Agonin.e; Gill membranes joined to istlimus, with or without a narrow free 

 fold behind. 



J. Tip of snout without free median plate or spine; mouth infe- 

 rior, lower jaw short. 

 k. Vomer without teeth. 



I. Lower side of snout with barbels. 



m. Gill membranes without barbels; a pair of complex 

 barbels under tip of snout; one pair horizontal and 

 one pair recurved spines at tip of snout. Lower jaw 

 very weak; teeth feeble, sometimes wanting; plates 

 of body mostly with spines. 

 n. Dorsal and anal fins very large, each with 14 to 16 



soft rays Draciscus, 8 



nn. Dorsal and anal fins moderate, each with 8 to 12 



> ' soft rays PodotJucus, 9 



k. Vomer with teeth. 



0. Dorsal fins rather long, the rays shortened behind, 

 the last one attached by membrane to the body; 

 no large knife-like spine above eye. 

 p. Plates on body largely unarmed; no teeth on 

 palatines; gill membranes without cirri. 



Sarritor, 10 

 acta. AspiDOPHORoiniN.E: Spinous dorsal absent; body not compressed, its plates not 

 spinous; mouth small, terminal; gill membranes free from the isthmus. 

 q. Nasal spines present; body slender. 



Afipidophoroides, 11 

 <j(j. Nasal spines wanting; body slender. 



Anoplagonus, 12 



