346 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [4] 
ANALYSIS OF THE GENERA OF SCIENIDD.* 
Subfamily IL—OTOLITHINZ. 
(Scienide with the vertebrae 14 or 15 + 10 or 11, the abdominal por- 
tion of the spinal column having always more vertebre than the caudal 
portion, the anal fin being posterior in its insertion; body more or less 
elongate, the mouth large, the lower jaw projecting, the preopercle with 
a crenulate, membranaceous border; snout without distinct pores or 
slits; preorbital narrow; gill-rakers slender, moderate, or rather long ; 
anal fin with one or two very weak spines, the second closely connected 
with the first soft ray ; scales small, smoothish.) 
a. Anal fin long, of 15 to 21 soft rays, its length more than half that of soft dorsal; 
dorsal fins more or less separated (soft dorsal and anal fins closely sealed). 
b. Teeth small, sharp, subequal, uniserial below, in a narrow band above; no ca- 
nines; anal and soft dorsal with 20 to 22 rays each, the former but little 
shorter than the latter; dorsal fins well separated; body compressed; scales 
large, ctenoid; gill-rakers long and slender; caudal fin lunate..SmRIPHUS, 1. 
bb. Teeth larger, very unequal, tip of upper jaw with one or two strong canines; 
enlarged teeth or canines on sides of lower jaw; anal fin shorter than soft 
dorsal, with 15 to 18 soft rays; dorsal fins more or less separated; body com- 
pressed ; scales rather smail, cyctoid.....---....---.---.---. ARCHOSCION, 2. 
aa. Anal fin moderate, or short, of 7 to 13 soft rays; 1ts length less than half that of 
second dorsal ; dorsal fins contiguous.* 
ce. Canine teeth, if present, not lance-shaped, tapering from base to tip. 
d. Lower jaw without canines at its tip; some of its lateral teeth sometimes 
enlarged ; tip of upper jaw usually with canines.....----....-. CESTREUS, 3. 
dd. Lower jaw with a pair of very strong canines at its tip, larger than the 
canines at tip of upper jaw ; lateral teeth small; body very slender; anal fin 
small; gill-rakers short. (Contains only Asiatic species.) ...--- OTOLITHUS.t 
ce. Canine teeth lance-shaped, widened toward the tip, then abruptly pointed ; 
canines of front of premaxillary iargest ; about two canines on front of lower 
jaw on each side; outer teeth of upper jaw enlarged, somewhat lance- 
shaped; outer teeth of lower jaw compressed ; air-bladder with two horn- 
like processes; gill-rakers moderate, slender; (soft dorsal and anal fins 
CIO | ae ee le ee ts ern a ee ame eae ene ANGIE SM ue 
Subfamily II.—SCLANIN A, 
(Scienide with the dorsal fins contiguous, the soft dorsal being long, 
much longer than the anal; vertebra 9 to 12 + 13 to 20, typically 10+ 
14, the number of vertebrie in the abdominal part of the body ae 
eins less than in the caudal part. ) 
* For completeness’ sake we include in the following analysis, besides the American 
genera, Otolithus, Scianoides, Collichthys, and Pseudotolithus, the only well-defined 
genera without American representatives with which we are acquainted. 
t Otolithus Cuvier, Régne Animal. Type, Johnius ruber Bloch. The characters here 
given are drawn from Otolithus argenteus (specimen from Hong-Kong, China). 
