Artificial Key to the Families of American Food and Game Fishes 



MM. Prcopercle serrate; teeth unequal, some of them very strong. 



XXXIX, PoMATOMIDiE, 320 



LL. Anal fin not preceded by free spines. 

 N. Nostril single on each side; lateral line interrupted; lower pharyngeals 

 united. 



O. Anal spines 3 to 11. Fresh-water fishes LVIII, Cichlid^, 475 



NN. Nostril double on each side 



. Lateral line extending to tip of middle rays of caudal. 

 . Anal spines 3, the second strong. 

 p. Dorsal fins 2, separate; body elongate. . . .XLVII, Centropomid^, 368 



RR. Dorsal fin continuous LII, H^mulid^, 420 



QQ. Anal spines i or 2, the second large or small. . . .LVI, Sci^nid.^, 454 

 PP. Lateral line not extending beyond base of caudal fin. 

 5. Gills 3 1, the slit behind the last very small or wanting. 

 T. Teeth in each side of each jaw united, forming a sort of beak. 



LX, ScARiD^, 480 

 TT. Teeth distinct or nearly so, the anterior usually more or less canine. 



LIX, Labrid^, 476 

 55. Gills 4, a long slit behind the fourth. 



U. Teeth setiform, like the teeth of a brush; body elevated, longer than deep, 

 the soft fins completely scaled; gill-membranes attached to the 

 isthmus. 



V. Dorsal fin continuous LXIII, Ch^todontid^, 484 



VV. Dorsal fin divided LXII, Ilarchid^, 482 



UU. Teeth not setiform. 

 W. Premaxillaries excessively protractile, their basal process very long, in a 



groove at top of cranium LIV, Gerrid^, 445 



WW. Premaxillaries moderately protractile or not protractile. 



X. Lower pharyngeals united; scales large; anal fin with 3 spines and more 

 than 15 soft rays; preopercle entire. (Viviparous fishes of the 



CaHfomian fauna) LVII, Embiotocid^, 469 



XX. Lower pharyngeals separate. 



Y. Pseudobranchiae wanting or covered by skin. 



Z. Dorsal fin of soft rays only, beginning as a crest on the head; caudal 



widely forked. Pelagic fishes XLI, Coryph^nid^, 324 



ZZ. Dorsal fin with spines anteriorly, not beginning on the head. Fresh- 

 water fishes. 



a. Anal spines 3 to 10 XLV, Centrarchid^, 332 



aa. Anal spines i or 2 ; body oblong or elongate; length less than 8 inches. 



XLVI, PerciDwI;, 360 

 YY. Pseudobranchiae developed. 



b. Spinous dorsal of 2 or 3 short spines only; anal without spines; scales 



small, smooth XLVIII, Serranid^, 370 



fti. Dorsal fin continuous, the spines few and slender.. LXIX, Latilid^, 504 

 bb^. Dorsal fin not as above 

 bb. Spinous dorsal, if present, not as above 



c. Perch-like fishes, the caudal peduncle not very slender, the scales well 



developed, ctenoid or cycloid; the dorsal with distinct spines; 

 the anal with at least i spine, its soft rays usually few. 



d. Maxillary not sheathed by the preorbital, or only partially covered by the 



■ edge of the latter; ventral with its accessory scale very small or 

 wanting; pectoral without accessory scale; sheath at base of 

 spinous dorsal little developed; vomer usually with teeth; opercle 

 usually ending in a spine. 



e. Anal spines 2 or i ; pseudobranchite small; preopercle with a hook-like 



spine below; vertebrae increased in number (30 to 46). Fresh- 

 water fishes XLVI, Percid^, 360 



ee. Anal spines 3, never 2 nor i ; dorsal fin continuous or divided; vertebrae 24 

 to 35- 



543 



