TEUTHIBIDiE. 313 



Fam. 29. TEUTHIDIDtE. 



Teuthyes, part., Ctw. Mkjne Anim. ; Midi. Beii. AbJuindl. 1844, p. 201. 



Body compressed and oblong, covered with very small scales. 

 Lateral line continuous ; tail not armed. Eye lateral, of moderate 

 size. A single series of trenchant incisors in the jaws ; palate smooth. 

 One dorsal fin, the spinous portion being the more developed ; anal 

 with seven spines. Ventral fins thoracic. Pseudobranchia; well 

 developed. 



Herbivorous fishes, inhabiting the tropical seas of the East Indian 

 region and the Western parts of the Pacific. 



The fishes of this family have some afiinity to the Sparidce and 

 Acronurkke, from which they diff'er in the structiu'e of the fins. 

 Only one genus. 



1. TEUTHIS*. 



Teuthis, sp., L. Syst. Nat. i. p. 507. 

 Sia'anus, Foisk. I)escr. Anim. p. 25 



3, sp., J 



s, Furs 

 Centrogaster, Houttmjn, Act. Sue. Harlem, xx. p. 333. 

 Amphacanthus, Bl. Sc/in. p. 206; Cui:<^ Val. x. p. 115. 

 Teuthis, Cant. Catal. p. 207. 



Teeth small, denticulated, in a single series. The ventral fins with 

 an outer and an inner spine, and with three soft rays between ; 

 formulaof the fins, D. 1^, A.|-. Scales minute, cycloid. Branchioste- 

 gals five ; pseudobranehise well developed ; air-bladder large, forked 

 anteriorly and posteriorly. Intestinal tract with several circumvolu- 

 tions ; five or six pyloric appendages. 



Herbivorous fishes, from the Indian Seas and the Western Pacific. 



The peculiarities of the skeleton of the fishes of this genus have 

 been pointed out by Geoffroy St.-Hilaire and Cuvier. We have before 

 us that of T. virgata. The skuU is short, compressed and elevated. 

 The crowTi of the head is convex, the surface of the bones shelving 

 deep striae and series of pores, and a veiy distract longitudinal suture 

 between the two frontal bones. There is a short subtriangular occi- 

 pital crest on the top of the skuU, the posterior part of the skull 

 being rather smooth. The frontals are not much narrower between 



* 1. Bussell, pi. 103. ^Amphacanthus rugselii, Ciiv. 4' Val. x. p. 123. — Vizaga- 

 patam. 



2. Amphacanthus firmamentum, Cuv. ^- Val. x. p. 142. — Samarang. 



3. abhortani, Cuv. ^- Val. x. p. 143. — He cle France. 



4. mertensii, Cuv. §■ Val. x. p. 150. — Hab. ? 



5. rostratus, Cwv. ^- Val. x. p. 158. — Red Sea. 



6. guamensis, Cuv. ^ Val. x. p. 163.— Guam. 



7. olivaceus, Cuv. cf Val. x. p. 163. — lie de France. 



8. kopsii, Bleek. Riouw, p. 483. — East Indian Archipelago. 



9. • chrysospilos, Bleek. Singapore, p. 66. — Singapore. 



10. melanospilos, Blcefc. Java, ii. p. 431. — Batavia. 



