i;)l. ICOSTEID.E. G19 



Head 7; dei)th 7. D. 7, lOl) to 190; C. ii-o; P. 11; V. 7. {G'dnfher.) 

 Described troiu Valparaiso, Chili. A youug specimen examiued by us 

 from Sauta Cruz, Cal., a;^i\?es in essential respects, except that the skin 

 ^s entirely smooth. The prickles are perhaps acquired with age, other- 

 v\'ise ours may be a dLiierent species. Two specimens of Trachijptents 

 liave also been taken in Puget Sound, but they have not been preserved. 



(Kaer. Wieu. Sitzimgsber, xxxiv, 437, 165'J, tuf. 1; Guuthcr, iii, 303.) 



Family CI.— ICOSTEID^. 



(The Bonquils.) 



Body oblong, compressed, naked or coveresl with small ctenoid or 

 cycloid scales. Head moderate, not externally bony, the opercles un- 

 armed. Mouth moderate, terminal; premaxillary protractile or not; 

 maxillary moderate, without supplemental bone. Teeth small, in bands 

 or in single series; vomer and palatines vv^ith or witliout teeth. No bar- 

 bels. Lower pharyngeals separate. Branchiostegals or 7. Gill-oi)en- 

 ings wide, the membranes free from the isthmus ; gills 1, a slit beliind the 

 fourth; gill-rakers slender. Pseudobranchioe large. Pyloric cosca few. 

 Air-bladder present. Lateral line present. Dorsal tin very long, con- 

 tinuous, without distinct spines; anal long, without spines; caudal fin 

 convex; ventral fins thoracic or subjugular, separate, but very close 

 together, I, 4, or I, 5; pectorals rounded, sometimes fleshy at base. 

 Vent normal, without papilla. Skeleton more or less soft and cartila- 

 ginous. This group, as at present constituted, is composed of three 

 very diverse genera, each of a single species, inhabiting the deeper 

 waters of the ]S"orth Pacific. It is probably most nearly related to the 

 Malacanthirlw, from which it is distinguished by the i)resence of pyloric 

 cceca and by the non-labroid dentition. 



(Icosteida; Jordan &. Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mns. 18S0, 30(5.) 



a. Body naked, lateral line and lin rays beset with groui)8 of spiniiles; skeleton not 

 ossified. (Icoateiiicv.) 

 b. Air-bladder present; tcetli in jaws only, in single series, very slender; ventrals 



thoracic, 1, 4 ; candal peduncle slender Icostkus, 33'2. 



aa. Body covered with small scales ; no si>inules; aii-bladdtir wanting or rudiuieutary ; 

 ventrals 1, 5. 

 c. Skeleton iin[»erfectly ossified ; lateral line median. {FcicIilh/iiiKr.) 



d. Teeth in a single series, minute, in jaws only; ventrals thoraeic; (•.•uidnl pe- 

 duncle slender IciCUTliVS, 333. 



cc. Skeleton ossified; lateral line near the back. (Bathi/masterhia;.) 



e. Teeth in bands, rather strong, on jaws, vomer, i)alatines, and jdiaryngeals; 

 ventrals subjugular; caudal poduuclo not slender Batuvmastkr, 334. 



