PISHES — SCIAENIDAE AMBLODON. 95 



Family SCIAENIDAE, Bo nap. 



The sciaenoids present mostly a general external appearance, not unlike that of the percoids. 

 Their body is protected with pectinated else ctenoid scales, which extend likewise over the head, 

 and along a portion of the fins also. There are either one or two dorsal fins, presenting the 

 same general modifications of forms and of combinations, as in the percoids. The head has a 

 peculiar physiognomy, owing to the convexity of its upper surface, and especially to the con- 

 vexity or bluntness of the snout ; the bones of the head and scull being cavernous, and otherwise 

 provided with crests or ridges. The suborbital bones do not extend across the cheeks, as in the 

 cataphracti, from which the sciaenoids are thus at once distinguished. The mouth is but little 

 protractile ; barbels are sometimes observed under the lower jaw about the mouth. The 

 palatines and vomer are toothless, a character by which sciaenoids can always be easily dis- 

 tinguished from the percoids. The maxillary teeth are various. The opercular apparatus 

 exhibits either spines or serratures upon the edge of its bony pieces ; the preopercle being, 

 however, occasionally smooth. The swimming bladder is peculiar, by the horn-like processes it 

 exhibits. 



SvN. — Sciaenidae, Bonap. Sagg. distr. anim. vertebr. 1831, 104. — Storer, Synops. 1846, 65. — Holbr. Iclith. of So. Ca. 

 1856, 112. 

 SciaenoUes, Cnv. Regn. anim,, 2d ed. II, 1829 ; &, ed. illustr. Poiss. 77.— Cuv. & Val. Hist. nat. Poiss. V, 1830, 1. 

 Sciaenoideae, Richards. Faun. Bor. Amer. Ill, 1836, 61. 



Most of the sciaenoids are esculent fishes, some of which being of exquisite taste. The king 

 fish (Umbrina), weak fish {OtoUthus), drum fish (Pogonias), and others, speak for themselves. 

 They live both in seas and rivers ; the marine species being, however, much more numerous 

 than those of the fresh waters. The majority of the genera, moreover, are exclusively of 

 marine habits. There is no genus exclusively limited to the fresh waters, at least, in the 

 actual state of the method, the fresh water species belonging to the genera Amblodon and 

 Johnius. 



Species of the genera OtoUthus, Umhrina, Johiius, Micropogon, Homoprion, and Pogonias will 

 be found annexed to the Report of the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey. 



AMBLODON, Rafin. 



Gen. Char.— Body rather sliort and deep, more or less subfusiform in profile. Head of raediam size ; snout thickish, and 

 protruding beyond the lower jaw. Mouth moderate ; velvet-like teeth upon the jaws, with the external row conspicuously 

 larger than the rest. Palate toothless. Edge of preopercle slightly denticulated ; opercular apparatus otherwise smooth. 

 Branchial apertures continuous under the throat. Two dorsal fins contiguous upon their base ; anterior one spinous. Anal fin 

 provided anteriorly with one, two, or three spines. Posterior margin of caudal fin convex or linear. Insertion of ventrals 

 situated posteriorly to the base of the pectorals. Upper surface of head, cheeks, and opercular apparatus covered with scales, 

 wbicli are well developed all over the body. Smaller scales may be seen at the base of most of the fins. 



Sts.— Amblodon, Rafin. Ichthyol. Ohiens. 1820, 24. 



Cortina, Cnv. Regn. anim. (2d edit.), II, 1829.— Cuv. & Val. Hist. nat. Poiss. V, 1830, 86.— Storer, Synops. 

 184G, 67. 



The genus Amblodon was first denominated Aplodinotus by Rafinesque himself, who states 

 that the latter name had been framed upon an erroneous opinion of his, which brought him to 

 change it to its present appellation. 



