GtJNTHEH's CATALOGUE OP FISHES. 21 



A soft dorsal and an anal fin. Yent^j 36 families 



remote from the extremity of the | separated into 

 tail, and behind the ventral fins, if j> 16 divisions, and 



they are present. [ comprising all the 



J typical forms. 



Dorsal and anal fins developed. Yent ) 1 fam. 



in front of the ventrals. ) Aphredoderidss. 



3. Body riband-shaped, with the vent near j -. £ 



its extremity ; a short anal behind "^^ ~ 

 vent ; dorsal as long as the body. 



its extremity ; a short anal behind the > j ^i^^fn^^sg 



4i, Anal absent ; caudal rudimentary, or not ^ ^ n 



in the longitudinal axis of the fish. ^ ^ -, 4- • i 



Skeleton soft. \ ^^^ ^^ 



J 



5. Soft dorsal absent or rudimentary ; -n 



ventrals abdominal, composed of / 1 fam. 



several unarticulated and articulated C Notacanthi. 

 rays. ^ 



Leaving out the four strongly aberrant groups placed at the end 

 of the series, the mass of the typical Acanthopterygians, it will be 

 observed, are divided into 16 divisions, containing altogether 43 

 families, the greater number of which are newly defined. These 

 " divisions " are mostty named from the title of the most typical or 

 best known genus, to which the termination-ybrw/^ is added, and 

 consist of one or more " families," as the case may be. The arrange- 

 ment thus given is completely new, and in fact has only been per- 

 fected since the termination of the working out of the whole group, 

 as it will be noticed that the species as given in the text of the three 

 volumes, do not follow this consecutive order. 



Dr. Giinther's fourth volume contains the two orders Flianjn- 

 gognathi acanthopterygii and Anacanthiniy of Miiller. In dealing 

 with the former of these orders Dr. Giinther has deviated from 

 Miiller's arrangement — changing the name into AcantJwpterggii 

 pTiaryngognafhi — as he considers the structure of the fins a more 

 important character than that of the pharyngeal bones. He also 

 omits altogether the soft-finned Pharyngognaths of Miiller (Scom- 

 beresocidse), not considering the coalesced pharyngeal bones as 

 a character of sufficient importance to unite acanthopterous and 

 malacopterous fishes in the same order. The Anacanthuni on the 

 other hand (which coincide essentially with the Malacoptorygii 



