276 



ICHTHYOLOGY. 



Classifica- ticulatecl line round the fore part of its limb, as well as serratures 



tion — on its hinder edge; operculum entire, without spines. Large, readily 



Acanthop- deciduous scales, and the dorsals well separated. Stomach large, 



terous cffical ; about three pancreatic caeca. Three species. 



Fishes. Genus XIX. Lucioperca, Cuv. Some of the teeth on the jaws 



V J. -^/ long and pointed. Border of the preoperculum with a single line 



of denticulations only, which are on the posterior edge of the limb. 



Scales rough. Large csecal stomach ; four pancreatic ca;ca. Five 



species. 



Genus XX. Etelis, Cuv. A single short pungent point on the 

 operculum ; very minute serratures on the preoperculum. Curved 

 canine teeth on the jaws, but not on the palatines. Dorsals con- 

 tiguous. Scales large. Stomach a large csecal bag ; five pancreatic 

 CEeca; a large air-bladder, with its vasoganglions ia little red 

 stripes. 



(c.) A single dorsal ; canine teeth among the others. 



GENtrs XXL SeRRANus. Cuv. Preoperculum rounded at the 

 angle, denticulated on the horizonal portion of the curve, as well 

 as on the ascending one ; two or more spinous points on the oper- 

 culum. Jaw! not scaly. Twenty-six species. 



Genus XXIL Anthia.s, Bloch. Serrani of small size, and gene- 

 rally brilliant colours. Head and jaws scalu, the maxillary being 

 densely covered with conspicuous scales. Six species. 



Genus XXIII. Merou, Cuv. Serrani of larger size generally 

 than Serranus proper, or Anthias. Operculum with two, or mostly 

 three, spines. Very small scales on the mandible. One hundred 

 and forty species. 



Genus XXIV. Plectropoma, Cuv. Serratures on the lower 

 border of the preoperculum turned obliquely forwards, and some- 

 what resembling the denticulations of a cock's comb. Upper border 

 mostly entire. In other characters Serrani. Operculum spinous. 

 Sixteen species. 



Genus XXV. Diacope, Cut. Characterized by a rounded 

 notch above the angle of the preoperculum which receives a small 

 knob of the interoperculum. In other characters Serrani. Forty 

 species. 



Genus XXVI. Mesoprion, Cuv. Serrani in fins, teeth, and 

 preopercular denticulations, but with an unarmed operculum, end- 

 ing in a smooth point, not spinous, nor pungent. Nearly allied to 

 Diacope, and many species have even the knob of the interopercu- 

 lum and corresponding notch in the preoperculum, but never so 

 distinctly formed. From Dente.r. which they resemble in external 

 form, they are distinguished by their vomerine teeth and denticu- 

 lated preoperculum. Fifty-four species. 



Genus XXVII. Aprion, Cuv. Canines on both jaws; short 

 villiform teeth on the vomer and palatines. Operculum with two 

 very small spinous points; but the preoperculum smooth-edged. 

 It would be almost an Etelis if its dorsal were not single ; or a 

 Giystes, if it wanted the canines. Air-bladder ample. One 

 species. 



(d.) A single dorsal, with villiform teeth only, and no 

 canines. 



Genus XXVIII. Aoerina, Cut. Whole head destitute of scales. 

 Muciferous excavations in the bones of the cranium ; five or six in 

 the suborbitar chain, and more on the limbs of the mandible ; small 

 spinous points with sinuses between, but no serratures on the bor- 

 der of the preoperculum. Two anal spines. Two species. 



Genus XXIX. Pentaceros, Cuv. Body oval, high. Pre- 

 orbitars, opercular pieces, cranium, and coracoid, coarsely striated. 

 Cheek scaly. Blunt conical tuberosities over the eye and on the 

 occiput. Scales of the body striated and granulated, and strongly 

 adherent. Villiform teeth on the jaws and front of the vomer. 

 Ventrals wide apart, their spine very large ; iive anal spines. Csecal 

 stomach ; nine pancreatic caeca ; a large air-bladder. One species. 



Genus XXX. Centropeistis.Cuv. Analogous to the Serrani 

 In the union of characters derived from a spinous operculum, and 

 a serrated preoperculum. Differs from Polyprion in the absence of 

 a denticulated crest on the operculum, and the want of denticula- 

 tions on the preorbitar. The snout, jaws, and gill-membranes are 

 destitute of scales, but the cranium, cheeks, and opercular pieces 

 are scaly, the scales on the operculum being larger than those of 

 the cheek. Fourteen species. 



Bonneville divides this genus into three groups: Centropristts 

 proper, having bigger conical teeth mixed with the granular ones 

 on the jaws, and an interior band of vomerine teeth in a chevron. 

 It comprehends C. atrarins, tabaccarius, atrobranchus, hiritndina- 

 ceiis, and brasiliensis. Homodon (Arripis, .lenyns) has card-like teeth 

 on the jaws; an oblong, three-cornered group of vomerine teeth, 

 and a more elongated body. C. truttaceus, georgianus (Australian 



fish). Mtjriodon, all the jaw-teeth equally minute ; vomerine teeth Classifica- 

 in a chevron. C. seorpenoides. tion — 



Genus XXXI. Aulacocephalus, Schleg. Three spines on the Acanthop- 

 operculum ; preoperculum strongly serrated on its horizontal bor- terous 

 der. Caudal fin rounded. One species. Fishes. 



Genus XXXII. Glaucosoma, Schleg,, Rich. Aspect Sciaenoid. v ^ -^/ 

 Low spinous part of dorsal, peaked soft part. Head, except the lips 

 and gill-membrane, densely scaly. Scales on the basal half of the 

 soft-rayed vertical fins. Technically Centropriftis. but having a 

 very different general appearance. Card-like teeth on the jaws, 

 vomer, and palate. Scales moderately large, ctenoid. Preopercu- 

 lum crenulated ; two flat, bony points to the rounded operculum. 

 Branchiostegals seven, occasionally eight. Two species. 



Genus XXXIII. Grystes, Cuv. Centropristis, with a smooth- 

 edged preoperculum. Scales small, thin, embedded in the skin, 

 extending over great part of the fins, and covering the gill-rays, 

 throat, and all parts of the head, except the lips and the folds that 

 shut up when closed. Notch between the dorsals equal to half their 

 height. 



Genus XXXIV. Apsilus, Cuv. Belonging to the Percoids, with 

 a single dorsal, but distinguished by the total absence of true spines 

 or denticulations on the opercular bones, or those of the shoulder. 

 Teeth very fine villiform, in a narrow band on the jaws and pala- 

 tines. Seven branchiostegals. Differs from Centropristis in the 

 want of denticulations on the preoperculum, and from Grystes in 

 having no opercular spine. Scales thin. 



Genus XXXV. Rhypticus, Cuv. No denticulations on the 

 operculum or preoperculum, but short spines on both. Head smooth, 

 without scales. Scales deeply imbedded in a muciferous skin. In 

 other characters much like Serranus. Few spines in the dorsal. A 

 lonn- cEecal stomach, pointed at the end ; six or seven pancreatic 

 ca;ca; air-bladder oval, not large. Two species. 



Genus XXXVI. Polyprion, Cuv. Preoperculum strongly and 

 irregularly denticulated, and the anterior border of its limb rough. 

 A strong spiny crest traverses the middle of the operculum longi- 

 tudinally, and there is a less prominent point below it; the edges 

 of the suboperculum and interoperculum are finely denticulated. 

 The preorbitar is also slightly crenated, and there are denticulated 

 crests and tubercular eminences on the upper border of the orbit 

 and top of the cranium, with serratures on the suprascapulars and 

 coracoid bones, giving the head some resemblance to that of a Scot- 

 paina. Stomach caecal, obtuse ; two pancreatic caeca. One species. 



THERAPONID^. 



The preceding family of Percoids contains the genus 

 Perca, as sketched out by Artedi and Linnaeus. The 

 numerous species discovered subsequent to the days of these 

 naturalists, and accumulated in the rich Parisian museum, 

 brought to the knowledge of Cuvier many new Percoid 

 forms which departed more or less from the typical Perca 

 of the older ichthyologists. In the Histoire ties Poissons 

 these are mostly introduced as appendages to the normal 

 Percoids, and contain fishes with fewer branchiostegals than 

 seven, or with more soft ventral rays than five, or with some 

 other striking external peculiarity by which they can be 

 distinguished as minor groups, but which differ little from 

 the true Percoids in essential internal structure. We have 

 separated one large group of these Percoid allies as they 

 may be called, to" form the family of Theraponida:, distm- 

 guished from the more typical Percoids by the characters 

 indicated in the table. But in the family thus brought 

 together, there are several minor groups very natural in them- 

 sefves, but which do not retain a general family likeness, 

 extending to all the groups. The first three genera are 

 distinguislied from the others by the lower rays of their 

 pectorals being simple, and formed evidently as organs of 

 touch, and the next three genera are American fresh-water 

 fish, of much beauty and neatness of aspect. These are 

 followed by five or six genera, with generally well-armed 

 opercular bones ; then there are several newly proposed 

 <;enera, in which a family aspect is less recognisable; and, 

 lastly, we have placed at the end of the family Macquaria 

 and Lati/us, two genera associated by Cuvier with the Sciae- 

 noids, but which, notwithstanding the absence of teeth on 

 the palate in the one, and the wholly toothless mouth of the 



