70 CIERHITID.i:. 



Fam. 9. CIRRHITIDyE. 



Percoidei, pt., et SciiBnoidei, pt., Cuvier, Midler. 



Percidse, pt., et Sciaeuidse, pt., Owen. 



CiiTliitidte, Gray, Si/n. Brit. Mus. 



Therapoiiidic, pt., et Polynemidae, pt., Richardson, Ichthyol. 



Cirrhitoidei, Bleck. Act. Soc. Sclent. Indo-Neclerl. ii. Atnhoina, p. 39. 



Body compressed and oblong, covered with cycloid scales ; lateral 

 line continuous. Mouth in front of the snout, with lateral cleft. 

 Eye lateral, of moderate size. Cheeks not cuii'assed. Generally six, 

 sometimes five, in one genus three branchiostegals. Dentition more 

 or less complete, composed of small pointed teeth, sometimes with 

 the addition of canines. One dorsal fin, formed hy a spinous and soft 

 portion of nearly equal development. Anal with three spines, generally 

 less developed than the soft dorsal*. The loiver rays of the pectoral 

 fins simple and generally stout ; ventrals thoracic, but remote from 

 the root of the pectorals, with one spine and five rays. [Air-bladder 

 either absent or with many appendages, iu the species examined.] 



Carnivorous fishes, inhabittug the seas of the tropical regions and 

 the southern temperate parts of the Pacific. 



This famUy might be divided into two smaller groups, the type of 

 the one of which would be CirrJiites, of the other Chihdactylus, if it 

 were not for Chironemus, which connects them so closely together, 

 that it would be difiicult to decide to which of the two groups it 

 otight to be referred. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



A. Anal fin not elongate. 



1. Vomerine teeth. 



No palatine teeth; dorsal spines 10; intermax- 

 illary not denticulated 1. Cerrhites. 



Palatine teeth ; dorsal spines 10 2. Cirrhitichthys. 



No palatine teeth ; dorsal spines 10 ; intermax- 

 illary denticulated 3. Oxycirrhites. 



Dorsal spines 15 4. Chironemus. 



2. No vomerine teeth. 

 Six (five) branchiostegals; viUifomi bands of 



teeth in both the jaws 5. Chilodactylus. 



Lower jaw without teeth 6. Mendosoma. 



Three branchiostegals ; a single series of teeth in 



both the jaws 7. Nemadactylus. 



B. Anal fin elongate. 



The spinous portion of the dorsal fin with 



17 spines 8. Latbis. 



* Cfr. the genus Latris. 



