272 PRTSTIPOMATID^. 



Fam. 5. PRISTIPOMATID.E. 



Percoidei pt., Scisenoidei pt., Sparoidei pt., et Maeuides, Cuv. H^gne 



Atmn. ; Muller, Berl Abhandl 1844, p. 201. 

 Percidae pt., et Scifenidae pt., Otoen, Led. Comp. Anat. Vert. i. p. 49. 

 Theraponidae pt., Sciaenidje pt., Sparidae pt., et Maenides, Ricliards, 



Body compressed and oblong, covered with scales, the serrature 

 of which is sometimes exceedingly fine and sometimes wanting. 

 Lateral line continuous, not continued on the caudal fin*. Mouth 

 in ffont of the snout, with lateral cleft. Eye lateral, of moderate 

 size. Five, six, or seven branchiostegalsf. Teeth in villiform bands, 

 with pointed and conical canines in some of the genera ; no molars 

 or trenchant teeth in the jaws, generally no teeth on the palate ; 

 jaws toothless in two of the genera. No barbels. Cheek not cuirased. 

 One donsal fin, formed by a spinous and soft portion of nearly equal 

 development, the former of which either contains strong spines or is 

 continuous with the latter; anal similarly developed as the soft dorsal; 

 the lower rays of the pectorals branched ; ventrals thoracic, with one 

 spine and five soft rays. The bones of the head ^vith a rudimentary 

 or moderately developed mucifcrous system. Stomach caecal ; pyloric 

 appendages in small or moderate number +. Air-bladder present, 

 more or less simple. Pseudobranchise weU developed §. 



Carnivorous fishes, without molar or trenchant teeth, inhabiting 

 the seas of the temperate and tropical regions ; a few entering fresh 

 waters. 



The fishes united by the above characters into a family form a 

 vciy natui-al group, in their external structure as weU as in their in- 

 ternal organization. A few of the members continue to have vomerine 

 teeth, like Percidce ; but they are either deciduous or absent in species 

 closest allied to them. At the end of the family there are some fishes 

 Vith a more cylindrical habit, and Etythrichthys has some resemblance 

 to the Scomhridce. There is a South American freshwater fish, Poly- 

 centrus, and Hyperoghjphe from Australia, which disturb the har- 

 mony of the characters of this family ; but not knowing a better place 

 for them, I thought it best to leave them where they were placed by 

 their first discoverers. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



1. Anal Jin with three spines. 



A. Air-bladder separated by a contraction into tin anterior and posterior 



portion. 



All the teeth villiform and couical I. TherApon. 



T^eeth of the outer row with a small lobe on each side 2. Helotes. 



* In Polycentrus absent. \ Except in Hi/per oglyphe. 



t In ChcBtopteriiS four. § In Polycentms hidden. 



