206 FISHES. 



** Dorsal fin single, not divided to its base. 



k. Fresh water species. 



I. Ventrals I, 5 ; dorsal spines 5 to 12 ; vent normal. B. 6. 



m. Teeth on vomer ; anal spines 3 to 9. Centrarchid^, 92. 



mm. No teeth on vomer; anal with 2 (or 1) spines, tlie 

 second veiy strong. . . . Sci^nid^, 94. 



mmm. No teeth on vomer; no lateral line; dorsal with 

 five spines; anal with three. , Elassomid^, 92 (6). 

 Z^. Ventrals 7-rayed ; dorsal spines 3; vent jugular. 



Aphododerid^, 93. 

 kk. Marine species. 



1. Cheel^^s mailed (as in Gottidm, etc.) 



11. Body covered with bony, keeled plates ; no dorsal 

 spines. . . . Agonidce^ the Sea Poachers. 



7171. Body with ordinary scales; spinous dorsal many- 

 rayed. . . ScorpcenidLB^ the Sea Scorpions. 



2. With broad, cutting, incisor -like front teeth, or with 



crushing, molar-like lateral teeth or both ; scales rather 

 large ; usually a recumbent free spine in front of the 

 dorsal fin ; lower pharyngeals not united. 

 0. Opercular bones entire ; vertical fins not much scaly. 



Sparidce, the Sea Breams. 



CO. Preopercle denticulated ; soft parts of vertical fins 



densely scaly. . Pimelepteridw, the Fat-Fins. 



S. Body much compressed and elevated ; the soft rays of the 



vertical fins covered high up with ctenoid scales ; teeth 



villiform ; body often dark-banded. 



p. Dorsal with less than 10 spines, separated by a notch 

 from the soft part ; spinous dorsal scaleless. 



Epliippidm^ the Moon Fishes, 

 pp. Dorsal undivided, with 10 or more spines, scaly 

 throughout ; fins often filamentous. 



ChcetodontidcB, the Chcetodonts. 



4. Ventrals wanting ; scales minute ; body high, much 



compressed. . Stromateidce, the Harvest Fishes. 



5. Ventrals jugular, few-rayed or wanting; body long and 



low ; dorsal fin very long, occupying most of the back, 

 at least half of it and sometimes all composed of flexible 

 spines; scales small or none; usually an anal papilla. 



