454 contributions to north american ichthyology — iv. 



Family LXXIX.— CORYPH^NID^. 



{The Dolphins.) 



Body elougate, compressed, covered with small cycloid scales. Cleft 

 of the mouth wide, oblique, the lower jaw x)rojectiug. Cardiform teeth 

 iu the jaws and on the vomer and palatine bones; a patch of villiform 

 teeth on the tongue; no teeth on the oesophagus. Opercular bones 

 entire. Skull with a crest, which is much more elevated in the adult 

 thau in the young. A single, many-rayed dorsal fin, not greatly elevated, 

 extending from the nape nearly to the caudal iin ; anal similar, but 

 shorter; both without distinct spines; pectoral tins very short and 

 small; ventrals well developed, thoracic, I, 5, partly received into a 

 groove iu the abdomen; caudal fin widely forked. Lateral line present. 

 Gill-membranes free from the isthmus. Branchiostegals 7; no pseudo- 

 branchife. No air-bladder. " Pyloric appendages very numerous. Verte- 

 brae more than 10 +14. A single genus, with six or eight species. Very 

 large fishes, inhabiting the high seas in warm regions, noted for their 

 brilliant and changeable colors. To this family belongs the Dolphin 

 or Dorade of the ancients, Coryphcena Mppurus L. 

 {Scombridai : genus Coryphwna Giiuther, ii, 404-408.) 



235. CORYFMiEWA Liunoeus. 

 Dolphins. 

 {Lampugus C. «fc V. ; youug or crestless forms.) 

 (Linnaeus, Syst. Nat.: type CorijplioBna hippurits L.) 



Characters of the genus included above. The species are not well 

 known, having been unduly multiplied by authors. {xop6(paiva, the name 

 applied by Aristotle to Coryphcena hippurus^ from y.opvq^ helmet; ^ a:Vw, 

 to show.) 



■715. C. punclulata. (Cuv. and Val.) Gthr. — Spotted Dolphin. 



Sea-green, silvery below, with scattered black spots on the sides and 

 back ; a series of distant rounded spots along the base of the dorsal 

 fin ; head with brown stripes. Body elongate, compressed, tapering 

 gently backwards; profile very convex, snout blunt. Mouth large, 

 oblique; maxillary reaching middle of orbit. Pectorals short, falcate; 

 ventrals long and rather nnrrow. Eye large, nearly as long as snout. 

 Head 4^; depth about 5. "D. 51; A. 25." Warmer parts of the 

 Atlantic, occasional on our coast. 



(Lampugus imnclulatm Cuv. and Val. ix, 327: Giiuther, ii, 408: ICorypluma cquiscti 

 L. Syst. Nat.) 



