748 CONTRIBUTIONS TO NORTH AMERICAN ICIITIiyOLOGY — IV. 



central portion is formed merely by skin, wbicli is separated from tbe 

 pelvic or pubic bones by several layers of muscles. The peripheric 

 l)ortion is divided into an anterior and posterior part bv a deej) 

 notch behind the ventrals. The anterior peripheric portion is formed 

 b}' the ventral rays, the membrane between them and a broad fringe, 

 which extends anteriorly from one ventral to the other. This fringe 

 is a fold of the skin, containing on one side the rudimentary ventral 

 spine, but no cartilage. The posterior peripheric portion is suspended 

 on each side on the coracoid, the up])er bone of which is exceedingly 

 broad, becoming a free, movable plate behind the pectoral. The lower 

 bone of the coracoid is of a triangular form, and supports a very 

 broad fold of the skin, extending from one side to the other, and con- 

 taining a cartilage which runs through the whole of that fold. Fine 

 processes of the cartilage are continued into the soft striated margin, in 

 which the disk terminates posteriorly. The face of the disk is coated 

 with a thick epidermis, like the sole of the foot in higher animals. The 

 epidermis is divided into many polygonal plates. There are no snch 

 plates between the roots of the ventral tins." . (Giinther, iii, p. 495.) ^o 

 air-bladder; intestines short; pyloric coeca few or none; skeleton firm ; 

 vertebrte 13 to 14 + 13 to 22. ' Carnivorous flshes of small size, chiefly 

 of the warm seas, usually living among loose stones between tide-marks 

 and clinging to tjiem firmly by means of the adhesive disk. Genera 10; 

 species 25 to 30. 



{Gohiesocidw Giinther, iii, 489-515.) 



a. Gill-menibraucs free from the isthmus; gills3; lower jaw with incisors; posterior 

 part of suckiug-disk, without a free anterior margin Gobiesox, 397. 



397.— ClOBIESOX Lacepede. 



(Lacepede, Hist. Nat. des Poiss. ii, 595, 1800: type Gohlesox ccphahis Lac6pfede.) 



Body anteriorly very broad and depressed, posteriorly slender, cov- 

 ered with tough, smooth skin; head large, rounded in front; mouth 

 terminal, crescent-shaped; lower jaw with a series of strong incisors in 

 front; upper jaw with a narrow band of teeth, those of the anterior 

 series larger; no teeth on vomer or ])alatines; gills 3; gill-membranes 

 broadly united under the throat, not attached to the isthmus; sucking- 

 disk large, the posterior portion without anterior free margin. Species 

 numerous, all American; mostly tropical. {GoMns ; Esox.) 



a. Anal fin of 10 to II! rays, about as long as dorsal. (CaiilarcliKS* Gill.) 

 h. In(:i>ors of lower Jaw entire. 



*Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 330: type Lepadogaster rcticulatus Grd. 

 {HavXo'., stem; apxo?, anus; i. c, anal mauy-rayed.) 



