proceedings of united states national museum. 417 



Descriptions of the subfamily Tetrapturinje and the genera 

 Tetrapturus and Histiophorus. 



Subfamily TETRAFTUEHSr^, Gill. 



Tetraptnrhias, Gill, in Rep. U. S. F. C. i, 1873, p. 787,- Cat. Fish. E Coast N. A. 1873, p. 

 9 (name only; no description). 



Diagnosis of, subfamily. 



Xipbiid fishes, with bodies much comiiressed, covered with elongate, 

 scale-like scutes. Sword somewhat flattened, but rounded at edges, 

 spear-like. Tooth-like granulations upon the jaws. Pelvic arch pres- 

 ent. Yentrals reduced to a single ray. Dorsal fin single {Histiophorus) 

 or in two portions, but little remote, separated by aborted section ( Tetrap- 

 turus). Preopercular spine absent (but probably present in young). 

 Two keels upon each side of caudal peduncle. Ultimate dorsal and 

 anal rays suctorial. Air-bladder very large, sacculated, consisting of 

 numerous separate divisions. Intestine short, straight. Two genera, 

 Histiophorus and Tetrapturus. 



Synopsis of genera. 



Dorsal fin single, high, sail-like : ventral rays two or three Histioplwrtis, Lac^p^de. 



Dorsal fin double, X(/>7ii«8-like : ventral rays one Tetrapturus, Raftnesque. 



Genus Tetrapturus Eafinesque. 



Tetrapturus, Rafixesque, Caratteri, etc., 1810, p. 54, pi. 1, fig. 1. 

 Tetrapterus, Agassiz, Poiss. Foss. v, 1843. 



Diagnosis of genus. 



Xiphiid, tetrapturine fishes, with body much compressed. Two dor- 

 sal and two anal fins in adult state; single dorsal and anal in immature 

 ages. Tooth-like asperities on palatines and lower jaw. Body covered 

 with cnltriform scale-like scutes, under epidermis. Dorsal rays much 

 more numerous than in Xiphias, less so than in Histiophorus. Yentrals 

 rudimentary, consisting of one pair of very elongate, flattened rays. 

 VertebrfB 25 ( T. belone). Pyloric c?eca very numerous. Intestine short, 

 nearly straight. 



Habitat. — Mediterranean, tropical and subtropical Atlantic. 



1. Tetrapturus imperator (Schneider), Goode. 



Xq)]iias imperator, Schneider, Bloch's Syst. Ichth. 1801, p. 93, pi. xxi (poor 

 figure), founded on Duhaiuel, iii, p. 333, pi. sxvi, fig. 2. 



Tetrapturus hclone, Rafixesque, Caratteri An imali e pianti della Sicilia, 1810, 

 p. 54, pi. i, fig. 1. — CuviEU, Rr-gne Animal, 2d ed. 1829, ii,p. 201. — Cuvieu 

 & Valexciexxes, Hist. Nnt. Poiss. viii, 1831, p. 280, pis. ccxxvii (skeleton), 

 ccxxviii (adult fish). — Boxaparte, Catologo Metodico, 1846, p. 80. 



Tetrapterus belone, Agassiz, Poissons Fossiles, 1843, v, p. 89, t-ab. E. (fine figure 

 of skeleton). 



Tetrapterurus belone, Box'aparte. 



Eisiioplxorus belone, Gijxther, Cat. Fish Brit. Mus. ii, 1860, p. 513. 



Skeponopodus typus, Nardo, Isis, 1833, Heft iv, p. 417 (Adriatic). 



Proc. Nat. Mus 81 27 Aira'iB 95, fi 8 89. 



