ICHTHYOLOGY. 



277 



Classifica- Other, seem to be more nearly allied to certain members of 



tion — this group than to any other iamily in this system. 



Acanthop- 

 terous 

 Fishe8. Family III.— THERAPOKIDiE. 



'^ Thoracic scaly fishes. Brancbiostegals six. Two dorsals, or the 



spinous and soft dorsals united to form one fin. Scales ctenoid or 

 cycloid. Teeth on the jaws, and most generally on the palatines 

 and vomer. Opercular pieces variously denticulated or spinous, or 

 some of them unarmed. Five soft rays in the ventrals, with one 

 spine; lower pectoral rays in some genera unbranched, jointed, and 

 prolonged beyond the membrane, but in most of the ordinary form. 

 A rather heterogeneous assemblage of Fercoids, brought together by 

 the single character of six brancbiostegals. but differing in some 

 having cycloid, others ctenoid scales, and even in the same genus 

 in the presence or absence of teeth on the palate, the teeth of that 

 part falling out when the fish is still young. 



Genus I. Cirrhites, Comm. Resemble il/e5oprion in their scales, 

 fins, and in having a denticulated preoperculum. and the operculum 

 ending in a flat, smooth corner, but are distinguished by the lower 

 pectoral rays being thickened, simple, though jointed, and elon- 

 gated beyond the membrane, seemingly to serve as organs of touch, 

 such as exist in many of the SclcrcjenidcB. The vomer is armed 

 with villiform teeth, but there are none on the palatines. Stomach 

 rather short; pancreatic caeca four ; no air-bladder. Eight species. 

 Genus II. Aplodactylus, Cuv. Lower pectoral rays thick, 

 fleshy, jointed, but not branched, and protruding beyond the narrow 

 membrane at the tips. Teeth thin narrow plates iobed at the crown, 

 in many rows on the jaws, the outer row taller than the interior 

 ones, the newest of which are very short, and to the naked eye ra- 

 duliforra. General aspect of Orystes. Scales small, striated on the 

 edges, covering most of the head and fins. Interoperculum scale- 

 less; preoperculum smooth-edged. A small, flat, smooth opercular 

 point. Brancbiostegals six. Ventrals posterior to the pectorals, 

 in consequence of the elongation of the pubic bones, which are at- 

 tached to the coracoids. Stomach small, csecal, with an ascending 

 pyloric branch exceeding it greatly in size ; two short pancreatic 

 caeca ; a large, simple air-bladder. Three species. Distinguished 

 from Cirrhites by its teeth, like tbose of Crenidens. 



Genus III. Chironemus, Cuv. Differs from the Sciaenoid Chei- 

 lodactylus in having vomerine teeth on the fore-part of the bone ; 

 teeth generally setiform, few and feeble. Scales cycloid ; opercular 

 pieces and cheeks covered with scales, not greatly smaller than 

 those of the body. Preorbitar high, like that of a Sparoid. Pre- 

 operculum smooth-edged, rounded at the angle ; operculum with 

 two flat points, scarcely pungent. Caecal stomach, pretty large ; 

 four pancreatic cfeca. One species. 



Genus IV. Centrarchus. Cuv. (Ichthclis,'R^^T\.) Oval, com- 

 pressed body. A single dorsal. Villiform teeth on the jaws and 

 front of the vomer ; on the palatines in two patches, and on the 

 base of the tongue; no canines. Preoperculum generally entire; 

 angle of the operculum divided into two flat points. Anal spines 

 from three to nine. Scales ctenoid. Nine species. 



Genus V. Pomotis, Cuv, A rounded, skinny, coloured lobe 

 prolonging the operculum, whose bone ends in an obtuse angle. 

 Pharyngeal teeth cylindrical, with flat tops, disposed in a pavement- 

 like manner; villiform teeth on the jaws, and a row across the 

 front of the vomer, but none on the tongue. Three anal spines. 

 Stomach c<ecal, obtuse; pancreatic casca six. Ten species. 



Genus VI. Bryttus, Cuv. Pomotes with a narrow band of 

 villiform teeth on the tongue. Three anal spines. One species. 



Genus VII. Pomanotis, Guich. Body compressed, oval, high, 

 covered with ciliated scales. Snout short and conical, but obtuse ; 

 a moderate-sized mouth ; teeth on the jaws crowded, conical, acute, 

 the exterior ones somewhat curved. Preoperculum, interoperculum, 

 Buboperculum, serrulated at the corners. Tongue smooth. Opercu- 

 lum spinous, without a membranous border. Dorsal single; ven- 

 trals thoracic. Brancbiostegals six. Fresh water, Aleppo. Near 

 Centrarchus, Pomotis, and Bri/ttus. 



Genus VIII. Priacanthus, Cuv. Angle of the preoperculum 

 projecting in form of a flat spine, which is denticulated or crenu- 

 lated on the edges like the rest of the bone ; resembling Anthias 

 In the whole snout and jaws being covered with strongly ctenoid 

 scales, which extend along the median line of the throat. No ca- 

 nines, but narrow bands of villiform teeth on the jaws, the chevron 

 of the vomer, and along the palatines. Mandible projecting at the 

 chin. Eyes large. Six brancbiostegals. Posterior orifice of the nos- 

 tril a vertical slit ; anterior one a small round hole. Form oval ; the 

 dorsal and anal rounded. Stomach large, csecal, rounded poste- 

 riorly ; five thick pancreatic caica ; air-bladder of moderate size, 

 rounded anteriorly, pointed behind. Eighteen species. 



Genus IX. Dules, Cuv. Ccniropristis by external form and in- 

 terior structure^ but their six brancbiostegals have caused us to 



place them in a separate group. Some have a single dorsal, and 

 three opercular spines ; others a notched dorsal, and only two spines 

 on the operculum. Vestiges of serratures on the suborbitar, and 

 some very fine and little apparent ones on the preoperculum. 

 Teeth coarsely villiform on the jaws, chevron of the vomer, pala- 

 tines, and tongue. Twelve species. 



Genus X. Therapon, Cuv. Villiform teeth on the jaws; 

 denticulated preorbitars ; preoperculum, and often the suprasca- 

 pular or coracoid, also denticulated. Six brancbiostegals. No 

 scales on the cranium, snout, or jaws. Spinous part of the dorsal 

 folding back into a scaly furrow. Air-bladder always divided into 

 two distinct sacs by a contraction as in the Ct/prinidce, the Ckar- 

 acini, and Myripristis. The palatine teeth are in some deciduous 

 at a young age. Some have the outer row of jaw-teeth stronger than 

 the others. Stomach ca2cal, pointed ; about twelve pancreatic cseca ; 

 anterior division of the air-bladder globular. Twelve species. 



Genus XI. Datnia, Guv., are a group merely subordinate to 

 Therapon, and differ in having a more elevated body, a straight 

 or concave profile, a pointed snout, and by the dorsal spines being 

 stouter, and occupying a greater length of the back, though not 

 more numerous. The dorsal is slightly notched, and they have 

 no teeth on the palate. Stomach caecal, rounded behind. Three 

 species. 



Genus XII. Pelates, Cuv., is a third division of Therapon, 

 and is distinguished by a more even dorsal, less notched, and by the 

 operculum ending in two feeble points, scarcely to be felt through 

 the integument. Snout somewhat obtuse ; mouth small ; jaws 

 equal ; teeth villiform in three or four rows, but none on the vomer 

 or palate. Three species. 



Genus XIII. Helotes, Cuv. A fourth division of Therapofij 

 having like the first one a deeply-notched dorsal, and an opercular 

 spine. Body oblong. Head small ; mouth narrow, as in the third 

 division ; exterior row of teeth minutely tricuspid ; no palatine 

 teeth. Two species. 



Genus XIV. Datnioides, Bleek. Distinguished from Therapon, 

 Datnia, Pelates, and Helotes, by the suborbitar scale bones not being 

 notched, and by a simple swim-bladder. Dorsal fin simple. Premaxil- 

 lary and mandibular teeth simple, pluriserial; no canines. Vomer 

 and palate smooth. Preoperculum denticulated, without larger 

 spines; suborbitars edentate. Brancbiostegals six; lips membra- 

 nous, entire, not fimbriated. Head scaly above ; snout scaleless. 



Genus XV. Badis, Bleek. Separated from Nandns by the en- 

 tire preoperculum and toothless tongue. Dorsal fin single. Teeth on 

 the jaws, palatines, and entopterygoids ; tongue smooth ; suborbitar 

 scale bones and preoperculum not toothed. A single opercular 

 spine. Brancbiostegals six. Lateral line interrupted. Upper jaw 

 jjrotractile ; inferior pharyngeals oblong, contiguous, but not united. 



Genus XVI. Nandus, Cuv. ilouth protractile ; teeth villi- 

 form, very close and short on the jaws, palatines, and chevron of 

 the vomer. Preoperculum and interoperculum finely denticulated 

 on the edge ; opercular spine so small as to be easily overlooked. 

 Scales smooth, cycloid. Intestines resembling those of a Labroid ; 

 stomach siphonal, with a very short ascending branch ; no pan- 

 creatic ca?ca ; air-bladder simple. One species. 



Genus XVII. Catopra, Bleek. Dorsal solitary. Setaceous 

 teeth on the jaws, palatines, and vomer; pterygoid and lingual 

 teeth granular, in an oblong patch. Preorbitar scale bone and pre- 

 operculum denticulated ; two flat spines on the operculum. Bran- 

 cbiostegals six. Lateral line interrupted ; upper jaw protractile. 

 Bleeker makes a family group of this genus and Nandus, and in- 

 deed the position of Nandus, with its siphonal stomach, and want 

 of pancreatic casca, does not seem to be with Therapon. 



Genus XVIII. Anoplus, Schleg. Distinguished from Datnia by 

 having vomerine teeth ; from Nandus by the want of palatine teeth. 

 Brancbiostegals six. One species, A. banjos. 



Genus XiX. Boleosoma, Dekay. Two dorsals. Smooth-edged 

 preoperculum ; operculum scaly, with a spine. Brancbiostegals six. 

 Nape narrow, compressed. Rivers, New York. 



Genus XX. Pileoma, Dekay. Two separated dorsals. Smooth 

 preoperculum. A flat, weak, opercular spine. Ventrals with five 

 soft rays. Teeth of equal size. Lake Champlain. 



Genus XXI. Lepisoma, Dekay. Body and fins scaly. Fleshy 

 appendages along the lower edge of the head and round the eyes. 

 One dorsal. Brancbiostegals six. Teeth on the jaws, vomer, and 

 palatines. Ventrals before the pectorals. One species. Florida. 



Not having access at present to the works in which Dr Dekay 

 has described these three fresh-water genera, we merely give the 

 generic characters, as quoted in the Archiven fur Naturgesckichte 

 for 1844 ; and cannot therefore, without more data, fix their proper 

 place in the system. Along with these genera, ranged in the 

 family of Theraponidoe, we place part of the Scisenoids, " with fewer 

 than six brancbiostegals," described in the Histoire des Poissons, 

 Their abstraction from the Scifenoids renders the characters of that 

 group more precise, and they are separated from the Theraponidm 



Classifica- 

 tion — 

 Acanthop- 



terous 

 Fishes. 



