FISHES 139 



Suborder 5. Holconoti. — The surf fishes. Viviparous fishes with 

 united pharyngeals, an increased number of vertebrae, cycloid scales 

 and many rays in the soft-dorsal and anal fins: i family. 



Family Embiotocidae. — Body elliptical, compressed; cheeks, opercles 

 and interopercles scaly; lateral line continuous; branchiostegals 5 or 

 6 : 17 genera and about 20 species, all marine but one. 



Hysterocarpus Gibbons. Body ovate; back elevated; dorsal fin 

 single, the spinous portion very long; anal fin very long: i species. 



H. traski Gibbons. Length 100 mm.; head 2,-2,; depth 2; color 

 brown above; sides yellowish, with fine dots; throat and belly yellow; 

 rays of dorsal fin XVI to XVIII, 11; anal III, 22: rivers of central 

 California; locally abundant 



Suborder 6. Chromides. — Lower pharyngeals fully united; nostrils 

 single on each side: 2 families, i marine, the other in fresh waters of 

 South and Central America, with one representative in Texas. 



Family Cichlidae. — Body elevated; scales usually ctenoid; lateral 

 line incomplete; no pseudobranchiae : 150 species, in the rivers of tropi- 

 cal America and Africa. 



Heros Heckel. Body oblong, compressed; dorsal fin continuous; 

 caudal fin somewhat rounded : numerous species. 



H. cyanoguttatus (Baird & Girard). Length 150 mm.; head 3.25; 

 depth 2.1; color brownish, the body and soft parts of the median fins 

 spotted with blue; rays of dorsal fin XVII, 10; anal VI, 8: south- 

 western Texas. 



Suborder 7. Loricati. — The mailed-cheek fishes. Fishes with the 

 third suborbital bone extending across the cheek to or towards the 

 preopercle : 8 families, most of them marine, i in fresh water. 



Family Cottidae. — Sculpins. Body elongate, tapering backward 

 from the broad head; body not uniformly scaled but either naked or 

 armed with scales, bony plates or spines; lateral line present; ventral 

 fins thoracic; dorsal fins either separate or connected; anal fins without 

 spines; pseudobranchias present; air-bladder usually wanting: about 

 60 genera and 250 species, mostly marine; many species in fresh water. 



Key to the Fresh Water Genera of Cottidae 



a I Ventral fins with 4 soft rays i. Cottus. 



a-.. Ventral fins with 3 soft rays. 



bi No slit behind the gills 2. Uranidea. 



bo A small slit behind the gUls 3. Triglopsis. 



I. Cottus L. Fresh-water sculpins. Body smooth, sometimes 

 with prickles; preopercle with a spine at its angle and usually 2 or 3 



