FAMILY KRAEMERIIDAE — SCHULTZ 5 



6a. Dorsal and anal fins joined to caudal fin; opercular opening restricted 

 to side of head; dorsal rays 41 to 78; anal 26 to 61; pelvics 1,3; eyes 



superior to somewhat lateral in position Microdesmus^ Giinther 



66. Dorsal and anal fins free from caudal fin. 



7a. Gill membranes joined across isthmus, forming a free fold across 

 isthmus; dorsal rays total about 36; anal 26; pectoral 12, pelvics 

 1,3; upper edge of opercular opening opposite base of sixth or 



seventh pectoral ray Allomicrodesinus, new genus 



76. Gill membranes joined to isthmus without free fold; the opercular 



opening restricted to side of head. 



8a. Pelvic rays 1,4; gill opening in front of pectoral fin and slightly 



greater than base of pectoral fin; upper edge of opercular opening 



opposite upper edge of pectoral base; dorsal rays 56 to 61; anal 



34 to 41 Gtinnellichthys 



86. Pelvic rays 1,3; gill opening beginning about middle of pectoral 

 base and continuing a little below lower level of pectoral base; 

 dorsal rays 46 or 47; anal 28 to 30 Clarkichthys Smith* 



Family KRAEMERIIDAE 



This family is characterized by having a moderately elongated naked 

 or scaled body, with lower jaw projecting, chin enlarged, entering dor- 

 sal profile of snout; dorsal and anal fins free from caudal fin; first six 

 dorsal rays feeble nonstriated spines, remaining rays striated; first 

 anal ray feeble spine, remaining rays striated; eyes small, superior or 

 lateral in position; pelvics 1,5, inner rays longest; tongue bilobed at tip. 



For the diagnosis of this family Gosline (1955, p. 167) states: "Gill 

 openings extending rather far forward, the gill covers narrowly at- 

 tached to the isthmus .... Dorsal and anal free from caudal. 

 Pelvics separate or united. Dorsals separate or united." 



The projecting lower jaw of Kraemeria resembles that of the genera 

 Gunnellichthys, Microdesmus, and Allomicrodesmus with which it ap- 

 pears to be related. Also certain genera in the gobiid family Taenioi- 

 didae look much like the Kraemeriidae and the Microdesmidae, except 

 that in the former the pelvics are cuplike. Gobitrichonotus radio- 

 cularis Fowler, except for the fused pelvics, is very similar to Kraemeria 

 and Allomicrodesmus. I do not believe that united pelvic fins is a 

 family character sufficient to link these fishes; thus, I include Gobitri- 

 chonotus in the family Kraemeriidae. 



i Microdesmus Giinther, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 26, 1864 (type species, Microdesmus dipus Giinther). 



Cerdale Jordan and Gilbert, Bull. U.S. Fish Comm., vol. 1 (1881), p. 332, 1882 (type species, CerdaJe ionthas 

 Jordan and Gilbert). 



Leptocerdale Weymouth, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., vol. 38, p. 142, 1910 (type species, Leptocerdale Icngipinnia 

 Weymouth). 



« Clarkichthys Smith, J. L. B., Rhodes Univ.. Ichthy. Bull. No. 9, p. 128. 1958 (types species, Cerdale 

 bilineata Clark). I have examined one specimen, adult female with eggs, standard length 23 mm.; dorsal 

 rays 46; anal 30, pectoral 14, pelvics 1,3, USNM 101685 from Port Utria, Colombia). 



