12 BULLETIN^ 10 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



finely ciliated, irregular. Lateral line complete. Spinous dorsal and 

 anal with broad scaly bases, also soft vertical fins scaled. Appar- 

 ently unique in its dentition. 



NEATYPUS OBLIQUUS WaJte 



Neatypus obliquus Waite, Rec. Australian Mus., vol. 6, pt. 2, 1905, p. 65, 

 pi. 10. Houtman's Abrolhos. — McCulloch, Biol. Res. Endeavour, 

 vol. 4, pt. 4, 1916, p. 188 (between Cape Naturaliste and Geraldton, West 

 Australia). 



D. X, 22; A. Ill, 18; scales 51 in lateral line. 



Readily known by its dark oblique bands, 6 in number, sloping 

 down from back and head above posteriorly. Reaches 152 mm. 

 Western Australia. 



Family MONODACTYLIDAE 



Palate with teeth. Nostrils double each side. Gill membranes 

 •free from isthmus. Branchiostegals 6 or 7. Lower pharyngeals sep- 

 arate. Subocular shelf present. Ribs all sessile, inserted behind 

 transverse processes when these present. Spinous dorsal much 

 reduced. Anal spines 3. Ventrals rudimentary or absent. 



Shore fishes of Africa, Southern Asia, and Australasia. A few enter 

 tropical rivers. 



ANALYSIS OF THE GENERA 



a^. Dorsal spines 8; scales finely ctenoid Monodactylus 



a^. Dorsal spines 5; scales c3'cloid Schuettea 



Genus MONODACTYLUS Lacepede 



Monodactylus Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. 3, 1802, p. 131. Type 



Monodactylxis falciformis Lacepede, monotypic. 

 Centropodus Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. 3, 1802, p. 303. Type Scomber 



rhombeus Forskal, monotypic. 

 Acanthopodus LacepJide, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol." 4, 1803, p. 558. Type 



Chaetodon argentcus Linnaeus, designated by Jordan and Evermann, 



Genera of Fishes, pt. 1, 1917, p. 64. 

 Psettus (not Klein 1775) (Commerson) Cuvier, Regne Animal, vol. 2, 



1817, p. 336. Type Scomber rhombeus Forskal, designated by Jordan 



and Evermann, Genera of Fishes, pt. 1, 1917, p. 64. 

 Stromatoidea Castelnau, Mem. Poiss. Afriq. Australe, 1861, p. 44. Type 



Stromatoidea layardi Castelnau, monotj^pic. 

 Psettias (Jordan) Jordan and Seale, Bull. Bur. Fish., vol. 25, 1905 (1906), 



p. 236. Type Psettus sebae Valenciennes, orthotypic. 



Body very deep, strongly compressed. Mouth moderate, protrac- 

 tile. Maxillary exposed. Villiform teeth in jaws, on vomer, palatines 

 and tongue. Pseudobranchiae large. Brancliiostegals 6. Vertebrae 

 23 or 24 ( = 9 or 10 + 14). Air bladder bifurcate behind. Scales 

 very small, ctenoid. Lateral line complete. Dorsal and anal elon- 

 gate, thickly scaled, former with 7 or 8 and latter with 3 spines; 

 front spines short and isolated, hind spines elongate, with only tips 



