614 CONTEIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICHTHYOLOGY IV. 



Regue Acim. : Epltippus gigas Giintlier. li, 61: Epldpims gigas Holbrook, Icli. S. Car., 

 107: Epluppus fahcr Holbrook, 1. c. 110: Ephippus zonatus Girard, U. S. Pac. R. R. 

 Siirv. 110, from San Diejro.) 



Family XCVIIL— CH^TODONTID^. 



{The Chcutodonts.) 



Body strougly compressed, elevated, suborbicular iu outline, covered 

 vith moderate-sized or small scales, which are finely ciliated or nearly 

 smooth; lateral line present, concurrent with the back, not extending on 

 the caudal fin; mouth small, protractile, terminal; maxillary very short; 

 teeth slender or setiform, often extremely long, in narrow bands in The 

 jaws; no teeth on vomer or palatines; no canines, molars, or incisors; 

 eyes lateral, of moderate size ; branchiostegals 6 or 7 ; x>seudobranchic8 

 very large; air-bladder jiresent. Gill-membranes more or less attached 

 to the isthmus; gill-rakers very small. Dorsal tin single, continuous, its 

 rays sometimes filamentous, its soft part as well as the soft part of the 

 anal densely covered with small scales ; anal similar to the soft dorsal 

 with 3 or 4 spines ; ventrals thoracic, 1, 5. Carnivorous fishes of the tropi- 

 cal seas, noted for their singular forms and bright colors. Genera 5 or 

 more; species about 170, most of them belonging to Chwtodon and Po- 

 inacanfhus. {Squamipinnes j)art, Giinther, ii, 1-57.) 



rt . Preoperculni!) -without spine at its anj^Ie Ch.'ETODOX, 3ii8. 



aa. Preoporcnluiu with a strong spine at its angle Pomacantiius, 329. 



32§.— CM^TOI>Ory Linnaius. 

 {Saroihrodus Gill: Tctragonopirus Blocker.) 

 (Linnpeus, System a Natui'ii', x, 17.58: type Chwtodon ccqmtratits L.) 



Body short, deep, very strongly compressed, especially above and 

 behind; head small, comi^ressed, almost everywhere scaly; mouth very 

 small, terminal, the jaws jirovided with long, slender, flexible, bristle- 

 like teeth ; preoperculum entire or nearly so, without spine. Dorsal fin 

 single, continuous, not notched, the spinous part longer than the soft 

 ])art, of about 13 spines; last rays of soft dorsal usually rapidly short- 

 ened; caudal peduncle short, the caudal fin fan-shaped; anal similar to 

 soft dorsal, preceded by 3 or 4 strong spines. Bodj" covered with rather 

 large ctenoid scales, somewhat irregular in their arrangement; the 

 lateral line curved, high, parallel with the back. Gill-openings rather 

 narrow, the membranes narrowly joined to the isthmus; branchiostegals 

 G. A very large genus of singular-looking fishes, abounding in the 



