410 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



pupil. Lower jaw slightly shorter than upper. Teeth close-set, iucisor- 

 like, Y-shaped, the forks divergent; those in lower jaw largest aud most 

 movable. Eye large, not longer than snout. Spinous dorsal moderate, 

 inserted over the vent, its origin midway between posterior angle of op- 

 erele and base of caudal. Pectoral about as long as the head, reaching 

 veutrals, the ventrals not to vent. Body stouter than in related species. 

 Scales hrm, crenate. Peritoneum dark. Head 5; depth 4^. D. VI-I, 11; 

 A. I, 22; Lat. 1. 54. L. a foot. Pacific coast of United States, with 

 AtJierinopsis californiensis, and equally abundant. 

 {Aiherinopsis afflnis Ayres, Proc. Ciil, Acad. Na,t. Sci. 1830, 73.) 



Family LXVII — SPHYRiENIDiE. 



( The Barracudas.) 



Body elongate, subterete, covered with small cycloid scales. Head 

 very long, pointed, pike-like, scaly above and on sides. Mouth hori- 

 zontal, large. Jaws elongate, the lower considerably projecting ; upper 

 jaw uou-f)rotractile, its border formed by the premaxillaries, behind 

 which are the broad maxillaries. Large, sharp teeth of unequal size 

 on both jaws and on palatines; none on the vomer; usually a very 

 strong tooth near the tip of the lower jaw. Opercular bones without 

 spines or serratures. Gill-openings wide, the gill-membranes not united, 

 free from the isthmus; gill-rakers very short or obsolete. Branchioste- 

 gals 7 ; gills 4, a slit behind the fourth. Psuedobranchife well develoi^ed. 

 Air-bladder large, bifurcate anteriorly; many pyloric coeca. Lateral 

 line well developed, straight. Pectoral fins short, placed in or below 

 the line of the axis of the body ; ventrals I, 5, abdominal, in advance 

 of the middle of the body ; first dorsal over ventrals, of 5 rather stout 

 spines; second dorsal remote from first dorsal, similar to anal and oppo- 

 site to it; caudal fin forked. Vertebne 24. A single genus of about 15 

 species; voracious pike-like fishes, inhabiting nearly all temperate and 

 tropical seas. 



{Sphyroinkla: Giiutlier, ii, 334-*341.) 



20a.— SPBIFRiEIVA Blocli. 

 Barracudas. 



(Artedi; Bloch, lolitli. : type i?sox sj)%j-a'H a Gmel.) 



Characters of the genus included above. {a<fopav>a^ the ancient name, 

 "hammer fish," fi-om fj-^D/Jtf, a dart.) 



* Pectorals not reaching nearly to front of dorsal. 



