16 BULLETIN 18 9, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



z. Ventral fin with 1 spine and 5 soft rays. 

 a'. Scales very small or obsolete; caudal peduncle 

 usually very slender; anal fin similar to second 

 dorsal, though often shorter; caudal fin forked; 

 color usually bright steel-blue to silvery. 

 h' . Dorsal and anal each followed by 5 to 10 finlets; 

 caudal peduncle with a lateral keel. 



Scombridae (p. 361) 

 bb'. Dorsal and anal each followed by 1 finlet or none. 

 c' . Dorsal spines greatly produced, long and 

 filamentous (except in very young). 



Neraatistiidae (p. 225) 

 cc' . Dorsal spines not greatly produced, not fila- 

 mentous. 

 d' . Dorsal fin very long, continuous, beginning 

 over nape, with about 50 to 60 rays, with- 

 out stiff spines. _ Coryphaenidae (p. 226) 

 dd' . Dorsal fin shorter, beginning well behind nape, 

 often in two parts, anteriorly generally with 

 stiff spines, 

 e'. Anal fin preceded by 2 strong separate 

 spines (more or less connected by mem- 

 brane in young, sometimes obsolete in 

 very old specimens) ; esophagus without 



teeth Carangidae (p. 202) 



ee' . Anal fin not preceded by free spines; eso- 

 phagus with lateral sacs bearing teeth 



internally Stromateidae (p. 416) 



aa' . Scales larger; caudal peduncle not especially slender; 



anal fin various, often shorter than dorsal; caudal 



fin not always forked; color variable, generally not 



bright steel-blue to silvery. 



/'. Chin with a pair of long barbels; dorsal fins 2, the 



first with 6 to 8 spines Mullidae (p. 311) 



//'. Chin without barbels. 



g' . Anal fin long, with 1 or 2 feeble spines and about 



22 to 30 soft rays; dorsal long, continuous, 



with about 6 to 9 spines and 22 to 26 soft 



rays; scales small, about 110 to 128 in lateral 



series. 



h' . Teeth in jaws fairly strong; upper jaw with a 



strong canine posteriorly ; teeth wanting on 



vomer and palatines; dorsal with about 8 



or 9 spines and about 22 to 26 soft rays. 



Malacanthidae (p. 197) 



hh' . Teeth in jaws smaller; canines in upper jaw 



wanting; teeth present on vomer and 



palatines; dorsal with about 5 to 7 spines 



and about 25 to 30 soft rays. 



Mugiloididae (p. 355) 



gg' . Anal shorter, with 1 to 3 spines, or rarely none, 



and about 6 to 20 soft rays; dorsal fin usually 



notched, sometimes in 2 parts, soft part with 



fewer than 22 rays (except in some Sciaenidae). 



