388 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV 



branchise present. Gills 4, a slit beliind the fourtli. No pyloric cceca ; 

 iutestiual canal short. A single genus of three or more species, chielly 

 of the Old World, one of them straying to America. 

 {Cvntriscidce ]ia.vt, genus Centrisctis Giinther, iii, 518-524.) 



189.— CENTRISCUS LiDnseus. 



Snipe-Jiskes. 



(LiniiiTJUS, Syst. Nat. 1758: type Centriscus scolopax Ij.) 



The characters of the genus are included above, {■/.evrfjitry.og, an 

 ancient name of some spinous fish ; from xi'^zpo-^, a spine.) 



62 !• C. scolopax Liuu. — Snipe-fish; Trumpel-fsh ; Bdloivs-finh. 



Eose red or reddish olive above, silvery on the sides and belly. Body 

 strongly compressed and somewhat elevated, covered with small striated 

 scales, each stria terminating in a rather strong spine; second dorsal 

 spine very strong, serrated posteriorly, its length about ^ total length 

 of fish ; snout several times longer than the rest of the head. Head 2i 

 in length ; depth 3^ to 4. 13. V-12 ; A. 20. Mediterranean Sea ; occa- 

 sional northward; accidental on our coast. 



fLinn. Syst. Nat.; Giinther, iii, 518.) 



Family LXI.— FISTULARIID^. 



( The Trumpet-fishes. ) 



Body extremely elongate, much depressed, broader than deep. No 

 scales. Bony plates ijresent on various parts of the body. Head 

 very long, the anterior bones of the skull much produced, forming a 

 long tube, which terminates in the narrow mouth; both jaws, and 

 usually the vomer and palatines also, with minute teeth ; membrane 

 uniting the bones of the tube below^, very lax, so that the tube is capa- 

 ble of much dilation. Branchiostegals 5-7; gills 4, a slit behind the 

 fourth. Gill-membranes separate, free from the isthmus; gill-rakers ob- 

 solete. Pseudobranchi?e present. Air-bladder large. Spinous dorsal fin 

 entirely absent; soft dorsal short, posterior, somewhat elevated; anal fin 

 opposite it and similar; caudal fin forked, the middle rays produced 

 into a long filament ; pectorals small, with a broad base, preceded by a 

 smooth area as in Gastcrosteidw ; ventral fins very small, wide apart, 

 abdominal, far in advance of the dorsal, composed of G soft rays. Py- 

 loric coeca few; intestines short. Vertebme very numerous (4 + 49 + 33). 

 Fishes of the tropical seas, related to the Sticklebacks in structure, but 



