short wing-iike projections extend laterally and connect with the 

 prootic:, 



The supraoccipital is a somewhat longitudinally extended 

 unpaired bonec Its anterior edge connects with the occipitalp 

 and laterally it contacts the parietals and epiotico Posteriorly 

 it gradually decreases in width and rests on the central suture 

 line of the epiotic„ This bone shows taxonomic character! sticso 

 In this family the fishes generally have the projections of the 

 supraoccipital well developedo 



The parietals are a pair of flat bones anterior to the supra= 

 occipitalo Their anterior portion is surrounded by the occipital, 

 laterally it is connected with the sphenotio and dorsally with the 

 pterotico Posteriorly they are in contact with the epiotiCo The 

 dorsal surface of this bone has one longitudinal projection which 

 forms part of the temporal projectiono 



The sphenotic forms part of the lateral wall of the optic 

 lobe, The lateral portion of this bone forms part of the articu- 

 lating surface for the anterior end of the hyomandibularo 



The basisphenotic is the smallest of the bones of the skullo 

 It is an unpaired^ Y=shaped bone located between the prootic and 

 the allsphenoido A vertical projection on its center line is 

 flattened laterally and connects with the parasphenoid^, dividing 

 the opening of the myodome in twoo 



The epiotics are on both sides of the posterior part of the 

 supraoccipital anterior to the exoccipital,, The posterior por- 

 tions of these bones are joined in almost a straight line^ These 

 bones have projections which join with the temporal projections c 

 On the inner surface of the brain case the epiotics are joined 

 with the supraoccipital, the prootic ^ and the exoccipital c, 



The pterotic is a rather thin, somewhat elongated bone which 

 forms the posterior lateral side of the skullo The anterior part 

 of this bone is the pterotic processo On the ventral surface 

 there is a large articulating surface for the hyomandibularo 



The prootics are bones which can be seen only from the ventral 

 side of the skullo In form they are rather large and extremely 

 irregular„ The right and left bones are attached right on the 

 center line of the ventral surface of the brain case„ and they are 

 firmly fused to the various bones that form the brain case,, but 

 they are not enclosed by the supraoccipital and the parietals o 

 They have thin vertical and horizontal processes^ the vertical 

 ones being high and twisted. 



The exoccipital corresponds to the neural spine of the 

 vertebrae. It surrounds the foramen magnum and protects the 

 anterior end of the spinal cordo It can be seen from both the 

 dorsal and ventral surfaces of the skullo This bone is surrounded 



