456 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



Coast of South Carolina ; knowu only from a mutilated specimen 4 inches 

 long, evidently the young of some j)elagic sj)ecies. 



(Cuv. & Val. ix, 368; Gunther, ii, 411.) 



Family LXXXI.— ZENIDiE. 



(The Dories.) 



Body short, deep, much compressed and elevated, naked, or covered 

 with minute scales, or with bony protuberances. Teeth small, in narrow 

 bands or single series, on the jaws and vomer and sometimes on the 

 l\alatines. Mouth rather large, terminal, the upper jaw protractile. 

 Eyes lateral. Opercles and other bones about the head often armed 

 with spines. Branchiostegals 7 or 8. Gill-membranes little united, free 

 from the isthmus. Pseudobranchiae large. Air-bladder large. Grill- 

 rakers usually short. Gills 4, a slit behind the fourth. Dorsal fin emar- 

 ginate, or divided, the anterior i^art with strong spines, the posterior 

 part longer ; anal fin with or without spines ; ventral fins thoracic, their 

 lays I, 5 to I, 8 ; caudal fin usually not forked. Lateral line obscure, 

 unarmed. Pyloric cceca exceedingly numerous. YertebroB about 32. 

 Genera 5 ; species about 10 ; fishes of singular appearance, inhabiting 

 warm seas. 



{Scomhrkta', group CyiUiia, Giinther, ii, 393-396: CytUdco Giiuther, Intr. Study Fisli. 

 450.) 



a. Scales minute or wanting; anal spines very strong; no palatine teeth. {Zenina',.) 

 h. Anal spines 3; bases of both dorsals armed with spinous jilates-ZENOPSis, 237. 



237.— ZE^OPSSS Gill. 



(Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1H32, 123: type Zeus nehulosus Temminck & 

 Schlegel, from Japan.) 



Body ovate, much compressed, without scales, not warty. Head 

 deeper than long, its anterior i^rofile steep. Mouth rather large, upper 

 jaw protractile; teeth small, on jaws and vomer, none on the palatines. 

 Various bones of the head and shoulder girdle armed with spines. 

 Series of bony plates along the sides of the belly and the bases of the 

 dorsal and anal, each plate armed with a strong spine. Eye large, 

 placed high. Gill- rakers short. Dorsal spines very strong, usually 10 

 in number. Anal spines 3. Ventral fins long, mostly I, 7. Caudal 

 peduncle slender, the fin not forked. Two or three species known, differ- 

 ing from Zeus, mainly in the presence of 3 anal spines instead of 4. Pe- 

 lagic. (Csu?, Zeus; £M^£?, appearance. Zeus is from !^eu^, Jupiter.) 



