136 TELEOSTEI : ACAXTIIOPTERI. — XX. 



vomer and palatines ; maxillary broad, not slippinj^ for its whole 

 len<j;th Ixjucath the ])rcorl)ital ; jrill rakers sliiT, toothed; (.'ills 

 normal ; pseiulobranehi:e lar<;e ; lower pharynijeals separate, with 

 j)ointed teeth ; jrill membranes separate ; B. normally 6 or 7. 

 IVeoperele usually serrate; operele with flat points or spines. Lat- 

 eral line present, not on the eaudal. Dorsal variously develoj)ed ; 

 anal shortish, with three spines (these wanting in one genus). V. 

 normal. Tail stout, its fin not deeply forked. Vertebraj usually 

 10 -|- 14 = 24. Intestine short, the stomaeh cffical, with pyloric 

 appendages. Carnivorous fishes, chiefly of the warm seas, often of 

 large size, most of them valued as food. Genera about 40, species 

 200. This group may be regarded as the most typical among 

 the Percoid fishes, and it is perhaps the one nearest the parent 

 stock from which the others have sprung. {Serran, the French 

 name, from Lat. serra, saw.) 

 a. Anal spines 3; dorsal spines 8 to 14. 



b. Dorsal tins separate, or joined at base only; the rays VII to XI - 1, 12 to 



14; maxillary without supplemental bone; teeth all villiform, without 



canines. (Lntin(e.) 



c. Caudal lunate; tongue with teeth; preopercle without horizontal spine 



or antrorse hooks. 



X, Dorsal (ins separate; spines weak; anal rays about III, 12, the 



spines graduated; lower jaw projecting; base of tongue with 



teeth Koccus, ICl. 



XX. Dorsal fins joined; spines strong; anal rays III, 9, the spines 

 not graduated; jaws subequal; base of tongue toothless. 



MOKONE, 162. 

 bb. Dorsal fin continuous, not deeply notched. 



d. Maxillary without, supplemental bone; canine teeth, if present, on 



sides of jaw as well as in front; no dejiressible teeth; temporal 



crests on cranium small; gill rakers rather short; lateral line not 



very high; dorsal spines X; anal rays III, 7, supraoccipital 



crest not extending far forwanl on top of skull, leaving a 



smooth area before it. (StrrnnimF.) 



e. Smooth area on top of cranium very short and small, the supra- 



occijiital crest long: C. not lunate, usually ending in 3 poiuts; 



teeth small; head naked above; dorsal rays X, 11. 



Centhoi-ristis, 163. 

 dd. Maxillary with a supplemental bone; canine teeth usually present, 

 in front of jaws; inner teeth of jaws depressible; .scales small, 

 firm; head more or less scaly above; supraoccipital crest en- 

 croaching on top of skull, so as to leave no smooth area at vertex ; 

 temporal crests distinct; scales small. {I'.pintphtlinue.) 

 f. Dor*al rays about XI, 16; anal rays III. 8; preopercle without 

 antrorse spines; canine teeth in front of both jaws; temporal 

 crests moderate; scales of lateral line simple, without radiat* 

 ing ridges Ckuxa, 164. 



161. ROCCUS Mitchill. (From vernacular Hock- Fish.) 



a, Tcilti <iti l):i,se of tongue in two patches; body elongate, little compressed. 

 (Roccut.) 



