82. BERYCIDJE. 457 



718. Z. oecllatms (Storcr) Gill. 



Color silvery, nearly plaiu ; a black lateral ocellated spot in life, dis- 

 appearing- in spirits. Body short, deep, compressed. Skin wholly 

 naked, except for the bony bncklers, which are armed each with a central 

 spine hooked backwards and marked with radiating ridges; 7 bucklers 

 along the base of the dorsal, the 5th and Gth largest; 2 on the median 

 line in front of the ventrals, the second largest; one median plate, and 

 pairs between ventrals and anal, and 4 along the base of the anal. Top 

 of the head with ronghish ridges, but without spines ; a spine at the 

 base of each dentary bone; the broad maxillaries each with a supple- 

 mental bone; teeth nearly obsolete. Eye large, much nearer the gill 

 opening than the tip of the snout. Gill-rakers short. Caudal peduncle 

 very slender, the caudal fin short and rounded; pectorals very short; 

 ventrals large, the rays I, 6, the first soft ray closely appressed to the 

 spine; anal spines short and stout, the soft rays, like those of the dorsal, 

 low; dorsal spines filamentous. D. IX, 26; A. 111,24. Pelagic; one 

 specimen taken at Provincetown, Mass. (Description from the original 

 type.) 



{Zeus ocoUatus Storer, Proc. Bos. Soc. Nat. Hist, vi, 888; Gill, 1. c.) 



Family LXXXIL— BERYCID^. 



{The Squirrel-fishes.) 



Body oblong or ovate, compressed, covered with very strongly ctenoid 

 or spinous scales. Head with large muciferous cavities, covered by thin 

 skin. Eye lateral, usually lai^ge. Mouth more or less oblique. Pre- 

 maxillaries protractile ; maxillary rather large, usually with a sui)ple- 

 mental bone. Bands of villiform teeth on jaws, and usually on vomer 

 and palatines. Opercular bones usually spinous ; frequently every mem- 

 brane bone of the head strongly serrated. Branchiostegals mostly 8. 

 Gill-membranes separate, free from the isthmus. Gills 4, a slit behind 

 the fourth. Pseudobrauchiaj present. Gill-rakers moderate. Cheeks 

 and opei cles scaly. No barbels. Dorsal fin long or short, usually with 

 strong spines; anal with 2-4 spines; ventral fins thoracic, usually I, 7, 

 the number of rays greater than I, 5 ; caudal fin usually forked. Pyloric 

 cceca numerous. Genera 5-G ; species about 50. Iiough-scaled and 

 brightly colored fishes of the warm seas; two species straying to our 



