ORDER II. 



ANACANTHINI. 



The order of Anacantliinians is to include fishes whose anatomic structure is similar to tha 

 of the preceding order, or Acanthopterians. The air bladder, when extant, wants, likewise, an 

 air duct. We observe here, as in the preceding order, scales of both the cycloid and ctenoid 

 types. The principal differences between the two orders consist in the absence of spiny rays 

 to the fins of Anacanthinians, and in the ventral fins which may be wanting, or present and 

 inserted under the thoracic belt or else under the throat. 



When the ventral fins are entirely wanting we have then the sub-order Apodes, whilst the 

 sub-order Thoracici is composed of the remaining members of the order in which the ventral 

 fins are more or less developed. 



Stn. — Anacanthini, Mull, in Wiegm. Archiv fiir Naturg. I, 1845, 130. 



The order ^itself is composed of a portion of the " Malacopterygiens sub-brachiens/' and a 

 portion also of the " Malacopterygiens apodes" of the Cuvierian system. 



SUB-ORDER I. 



APODES. 



The ventral fins in this sub-order are entirely wanting. It is composed of but one family, 

 and that is represented along the Pacific coast by the Sand launce genus, and by Ophidian also. 



Syh. —Mpodes, Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. X, 1758, 244.— Iconogr. Encycl. II, 1850, 204. 



There are now two sub-orders of Apodes in the class of fishes. The second is alluded to further 

 on, and occuioies a place in the order of Malacopterians. 



Fishes wanting the ventral fins are, moreover, met with elsewhere in the class, without, 

 however, constituting groups of a higher value than genera, showing that the same organic 

 structure may be variously subordinated in the icthyic method. 



Family OPHIDIC AE, Bonap. 



The body is slender and elongated, compressed, provided with minute and inconspicuous 

 scales. The ventrals, and sometimes even the pectoral fins, are wanting. The pseudo-branchiae 

 exist, but, as already stated, the air bladder has no communication with the throat, and exhibits 

 that curious vascular mesh-work peculiar to the fishes, in which that bladder is deprived of an 

 air duct. 



18 a 



