125 (a). AXTEXNARIlDiE — ANTENNARIUS. 845 



Family CXXV (a).— ANTENNARIID^. 



{The Frog-fislies.) 



Head and body more or less compressed. Mouth vertical or very 

 oblique; lower jaw jirojecting; jaws with cardiform teeth; i)remaxilla- 

 ries i)rotractile. Cirill-openiugs small, pore-like, in or behind the lower 

 axils of the pectorals. No pseudobranchitc. Skin naked, smooth, or 

 l)rickly. Pectoral members forming an elbow-like angle. Pseudo- 

 brachia long, with three actinosts. Ventral fins present, jugular, near 

 together. Spinous dorsal of one to three separated, tentacle-like spines ; 

 soft dorsal long, larger than anal. Pyloric cceca none. Genera about 5; 

 species nearly 40. Inhabitants of tropical seas, "living on floating sea- 

 weed, and enabled, by filling the capacious stomach with air, to sustain 

 themselves on the surface of the water" ; therefore, widely dispersed 

 by currents in tlie sea. 

 {Pedimlati pt. GUuther, iii, 182-200.) 



a. Head compressed; a rostral spine or teutacle, followed by two larger spines; pala- 

 tine teeth developed. 



h. Dorsal spines disconnected Antennarius, 467. 



art. Head cuboid; a single rostral spine or tentacle; soft dorsal low. ..Chauxax, 468. 



467.— A]VTEI\NAKIIIS Lac^pMe. 



( Ch ironcctes Cu v. ) 

 (Commerson; Laccpede, Hist. Nat. Poiss. i, 421, 1793: type Antennarius chironectes 

 Couiinerson.) 



Body oblong, compressed, very deep through the occipital region, 

 tapering behind ; breast tumid. Mouth rather large, more or less 

 o.blique, or even vertical ; cardiform teeth on jaws, vomer, and pala- 

 tines. Eye small. Skin smooth, granular or spinous, with numerous 

 fleshy slips. First dorsal spine developed as a small rostral tentacle; 

 second and third dorsal spines strong, covered with skin, with nu- 

 merous fleshy filaments; soft dorsal high and long; anal short and 

 deep; caudal fin rounded; pectoral fins moderate, with a more or less 

 slender wrist, at the lower posterior angte of wliicli are the very small 

 gill-openings; ventral fins well developed. Fantastic-looking fishes; 

 very numerous in warm seas. (Latin antenna^ a feeler or tentacle.) 

 rt. Ventral fins long; .skin smooth or nearly so ; mouth oblique. {Ptcro2)Iir!/noideii* GUI.) 

 1J503. A. lii<^ai-HO (L.) .1. &. a.—Monsc-fish; Toad-fi>ih. 



Yellowish, marbled with brown; 3 dark bands radiating from eye; 



* Fterophrync Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1803, 90: type Chironectes ioufjaiftvillei 

 C. & v.; preoccupied as Pterophri/ntts: PterophripwidcH Gill, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 

 l:<7e', 216. (Ttrrpoy, wing; (ppvvTf, toad; EiSui, resemblance.) This geuus is per- 

 bup.^ worthy of retention. 



