518 CENTUISCID,¥. 



Fam. 44. CENTRISCID^. 



Bouches en flute, part., Cuv. Rk/ne Aiiim. 



Fistularidffi, part., 3MI. Berl. Abhandl. 1844, p. 201 ; Owen, Led. 



Comp. Anat. i. p. 49. 

 Amphisileoidei et Ceutriscoidei, Bleek, Eiium. pp. xv & xxiii. 



Form of the body compressed, oblong or elevated ; the anterior bones 

 of the skull are much produced, and form a long tube terminating in 

 a narrow mouth. Teeth none. Body either covered with a cuirass or 

 with non-confluent ossifications ; scales none, or small. Two dorsal 

 fins : the spinous short, and with one of the spines strong ; the soft 

 and the anal of moderate extent : ventral fins small, without spine, 

 or rudimentary, abdominal. Branchiostegals three or four; air- 

 bladder large, four gills and pseudobranchiaj. Pyloric appendages 

 none ; intestinal tract rather short. Vertebris in small number. 



Mediterranean and north-eastern shores of the Atlantic. Eastern 

 coasts of Africa. Coasts of China, Japan, and Australia. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



Body scaly or covered with prickles 1 . Centriscus, p. 518. 



Body witliout any scales, with a bony cuirass. . . 2. Asiphisile, p. 624. 



1. CENTRISCUS. 



Centriscus, sp., L. Si/st. Nat. i. p. 415. 

 Centriscus, Cuv. Regne Anim. 



Body oblong or elevated, compressed, covered with small rough 

 scales ; lateral line none ; some bony strips on the side of the back 

 and on the margin of the thorax and abdomen ; the former, in one 

 species, are confluent and form a shield. Teeth none. Two dorsal 

 fins, the first with one of the spines very strong. Ycntral fins small, 

 abdominal, composed of five soft rays. Four branchiostegals ; gill- 

 opening wide, four giUs and pseudobranchia3 ; air-bladder large ; 

 pyloric appendages none. 



From the coast of England to the west coast of Africa ; Mediter- 

 ranean. Seas of Japan and Austraha. (Amboyna ?) 



This genus shows a remarkable similarity to Zeus and Cyttus with 

 regard to its geographical distribution. 



1. Centriscus scolopax. 



The Trumpet-fish. The Bellows-fish. 



Scolopax, Hondel. De Pise. xv. cap. .5. p. 422 ; Aldrov. iii. c. 13. p. 298 ; 



Jonst. I. tit. 1. cap. 1. art. 4. tab. 1. fig. 9. 

 Tnmipet-fish, IFi/liic/hbi/, p. 160. tab. I. 25. fig. 2; H'ly, >^yn. p. 50; 



CoircJi ill Linn. Trans, xiv. p. 89. 



