194 BULLETIN 180, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



dorsal spines VIII ; gill membranes attached to isthmus with narrow 

 fold; head mostly naked, sometimes a few scales at upper angle of oper- 

 culum ; free edge of preopercle not continued forward ventrally ending 

 at curve of lower corner ; no canines near corners of upper jaw ; pectoral 

 fin rays about 15; one pair of canines at symphyses of upper and lower 



jaws Gomphosus Lacepede 



I&. Snout not produced or tubular; shorter than postorbital length of head. 

 2a. Bones of lower jaw as long as head, extending backward below isthmus; 

 scales large about 19 or 20 rows on sides of body; lateral line inter- 

 rupted, posteriorly, continuing again on midside of caudal region; 

 dorsal rays IX, 10; anal III, 8; gill membranes free from isthmus but 

 forming a wide fold across it ; head scaled ; free edge of preopercle con- 

 tinuing far forward ventrally in front of lower corner; no canines near 

 corner of upper jaw; pectoral rays about 11; gill rakers about 5+11; 

 one pair of canines at symphyses of upper and lower jaws. 



Epibulus Cuvier 

 2&. Lower jaw shorter than head, upper jaw shorter than snout. 

 3a. Head so fully scaled that there is no free edge to preopercle; under- 

 side of head scaled, gill membranes joined across isthmus so that 

 there is no groove forward ; snout naked ; scales large about 26 to 

 28 rows on sides ; gill membranes attached to isthmus with only a 

 trace of a fold across it; lateral line continuous, bent downward pos- 

 teriorly ; dorsal rays IX, H or 12 ; anal III, 10 or 11 ; strong canine 

 at corner of upper jaw ; gill rakers feebly developed, about nine on 

 lower part of first arch ; pectoral rays about 13__ Labrichthys Bleeker 

 36. Preopercle with a free edge posteriorly and at least free around lower 

 corner. 

 4a. Scales large, numbering about 20 to 29 rows from upper edge of gill 

 opening to base of caudal fin rays. 

 5a. Gill membranes not attached to isthmus but with a wide free fold 

 across it; lateral line interrupted posteriorly continuing again on 

 midaxis of caudal region; no canines near corner of upper jaw; 

 dorsal spines IX (rarely X except on chlorourus) ; preopercle 

 with free edge posteriorly and ventrally. 

 6a. Head scaly at least on sides (these scales become embedded in 

 specimens 3 feet long or more). 

 7a. One pair of canines at symphyses of upper and lower jaws, 

 without recurved outer pairs in upper jaw; pectoral rays 

 about 11 ; dorsal rays IX or X, 9 to 11 ; scale rows 20 or 21 ; 

 gill rakers 5 to 8-f 5 to 12 ; first anal spine enlarged about 



two-thirds length of second Cheilinus Lacepede 



76. No canines at symphyses of jaws but small teeth, with canines 

 each side of symphysis, pair on upper jaw long, curved out- 

 ward and backward; gill rakers about 5-|-9; pectoral rays 

 15 or 16 ; dorsal rays IX, 11 ; scale rows about 25. 



Pseudocheilinus Bleeker 



66. Head naked, no scales even on upper part of operculum ; scale 



rows about 25 or 26; dorsal rays IX, 12; gill rakers about 



7-1-11 ; pectoral rays about 12 ; a pair of canines at symphyses 



of upper and lower jaws Novaculichthys Bleeker 



56. Gill membranes attached to isthmus, with or without a narrow 

 free fold across it. 

 8a. Dorsal spines VIII, soft rays usually 13; lateral line continuous 

 with an abrupt bond posteriorly on caudal region ; gill mem- 



