TRACHINIDJS. 225 



Fam. 11. TRACHINIDiE*. 



Percoidei, pt., Sci8euoi''ei, pt., et Gobioidei, pt., Cuv. B^qtie Anim. ; 



Miiller, Berl. Ahhandl. 1844, 

 Uranoscopidse, pt., Scisenidae, pt., Gobiidae, pt., et Blenniidne, pt., 



Ricliai'dson, 



Body elongate, low, naked, or covered with scales, Teeth in 

 vilKform bands, with pointed and conical canines in some of the 

 genera ; no molars or trenchant teeth. The infraorbital ring does 

 not articulate with the prseopercnlum. One or two dorsal fins, the 

 spinous portion being always much less developed and shorter than 

 the soft ; the anal similarly developed as the soft dorsal ; ventrals 

 with one spine and Jive raysf. Gill-opening more or less wide ; five, 

 six or seven branchiostegals ; pseudobranchiae. No prominent pa- 

 pilla near the anus. Air-bladder generally absent ; pyloric append- 

 ages in moderate number, or wanting. Vertebrae '"l*^^""^'^ . 



Carnivorous fishes, living at the bottom of the shores of nearly 

 all the seas. 



Synopsis of the Groups. 



Eyes on the upper stirface of the head ; lateral 

 line continuous a. Uranoscopina. 



Eyes more or less lateral ; lateral line con- 

 tinuous ; no larger tooth on the posterior 

 portion of the intermaxillary h. Trachinina. 



Eyes lateral ; a larger tooth on the posterior 

 portion of the intermaxillary ; lateral line 

 continuous c. Pingxiipedma. 



Lateral line interrupted, or not continued to 



the caudal d. Fsendochromides. 



Appendix > Heterostichus. 



First Group. URANOSCOPINA. 



Eyes on the upper sditfece of the head ; cleft of the mouth vertical ; 

 head generally cuirassed with bony plates. Body sometimes naked, 

 sometimes partly or entirely eftvefod vrith small scales. Lateral line 

 continuous, 



* 1. Pagetodes, Bichards. Voy. Ereb.Sf Terr. Fishes, p. 15. pi. 8. f. 3. 



2. Hemerocoetes acanthorhynchus, which has been placed by its describer 

 close to fishes of this family, is not an Acanthopterygian fish, all its fin- 

 rays being articulated, 

 t In Epicopua with one spine and six rays. 

 VOL. II. 



