265 



Fam. 12. SCItENID^. 



Scisenoidei, pt., Cm\ Rkgne Anim. ; Cuv. ^ Val. v. p. 1 ; Miiller, Berl. 



Ahhandl. 1844, p. 201. 

 Sciajnidie, pt., Owen, Led. Comp, Anat. Vert. i. p. 49; Richardson, 



Ichthyol. 



Body compressed and rathei" elongate, covered with ctenoid scales. 

 Lateral line continuoiLS, and often continued on the tail. Mouth in 

 front of the snout. Eye lateral, of moderate size. Seven hranchio- 

 stegals. Teeth in vUliform bands, with canines in some of the 

 genera ; no molars or trenchant teeth in the jaws ; no teeth on the 

 palate. Cheek not cuirassed ; the opercles not, or feebly, armed. 

 Two dorsal fins, the soft much more developed than the spinous or the 

 anal ; the spines of the first dorsal generally feeble and elevated ; 

 the anal fin with two spines. All the rays of the pectorals branched ; 

 ventrals thoracic, with one spine and five soft rays. The bones of 

 the head with the mucifcrous system very developed. Stomach 

 csecal ; pyloric appendages in small or moderate number. Air- 

 bladder* with branching or very elongate appendages, sometimes 

 absent. Pseudobranehise sometimes hidden. 



Mostly inhabitants of the seas of the temperate and tropical re- 

 gions ; a few inhabiting the fresh waters of America, Africa, and the 

 East Indies. Not to be found in Australia. 



Synopsis of tlie Genera, 

 A. Loiver jaw with harhels. 



Chin with many small barbels. Pharyngeal teeth pavement- 

 like 2. POGONIAS. 



Chin with several minute barbels. Pharyngeal teeth conical 



and pointed 3. Micropogon. 



One single barbel 4. Umbrina. 



Two barbels. The pectoral and caudal fins very elongate... 13. Lonchurus. 



B. Barbels none. 



The lower jaw longest ; no large canines ; air-bladder simple. 1 . Laeimus. 



Dorsal and caudal fins covered with scales ; the first dorsal 



very elevated ; anal spines feeble 5. Eques. 



Dorsal and caudal fins covered with scales ; anal spines 



strong 6. Paciiyurus. 



* Air-bladder simple in Larimus and Eques. 



