288 



ICHTHYOLOGY. 



Acanthop' 

 teroua 

 Fishes. 



Classifica- Casio, but differs in having seven brancbiostegals, a deeply 

 tion— ^j^j widely notched dorsal, approaching more nearly to two 

 dorsals than Gerres, scaly sheatlis to the vertical fins of a 

 different character from the scales that invest the fins in 

 these two genera ; and the snout, gill-covers, and maxil- 

 laries more strongly and more completely scaly. It is not 

 without a resemblance to several of the genera assembled 

 under the head of Theraponidie. To Glaucosoma it ap- 

 proaches in the extent of scaliness of the head and fins, 

 but differs greatly in aspect, dentition, branchiostegals, and 

 especially in its protractile mouth. From the typical Per- 

 cceidce, with which it agrees in having seven gill rays, it 

 is kept distinct by its unarmed head ; the want of mandi- 

 bular pores will not allow it to associate with Hanmlon, Pris- 

 tipoma, or Diagramma ; and it bears little resemblance in 

 its sparoid scales to the oblique-scaled typical Scianidce, 

 from which also its elongated face distinguishes it. The 

 want of teeth is a character which it has in common with 

 Boxaodon and Macquaria, but the latter has only five bran- 

 chiostegals. It is a genus recently discovered in the Japa- 

 nese and Australian seas. Fig. 18 shows the protractile 

 mouth of Emmelichthys nitidus, with the scales on the 

 maxilla ; Fig. 105 gives a figure of the entire fish, and Fig. 

 106 represents one of the scales. 



Concerning the Pseudochuomid^ we have almost no- 

 thing to say. The genera are not described in the Histoire 

 des Poissons, and but little is contained in the Begne Ani- 

 mal concerning them. Indeed, a brief notice of the names 

 of the genera composing the family given in the Archiven 

 fur Naturgeschichte, is our only authority for introducing it 

 here. In the Begne Animal, Plesiops and Cicklops were 

 placed among the Labroids, but M. Valenciennes states, in 

 1839, that having studied at Leyden the fish sent from 

 Java, by Kuhl and Van Hasselt, he was convinced that the 

 Plesiops and Cirrhipteri of these naturalists could not re- 

 main in the Labroid family. Willughby had already no- 

 ticed the existence of two small pancreatic cseca in Chromis 

 (Sparus chromis, Linn.) ; and M. Valenciennes finds it to 

 agree so nearly with Plesiops, as not to be generically dis- 

 tinct. Their teeth, the interrupted lateral line, constitution 

 of their scales, and the filaments of the spinous dorsal rays 

 are alike in both. Cuvier, in stating that the Chromides 

 had no pancreatic caeca, had in view the Bold or Labrtis 

 niloticus, which, in fact, wants these organs. In conclu- 

 sion, M. Valenciennes is inclined to place the genera in 

 question with the Glyphysodons and their allies. Miiller, 

 finding a coalesced pharyngeal in Chromis, has introduced 

 it as the type of a family among the Pharyngognaihi, re- 

 ferring the Pseudochromidce to the Acanthopteri. 



large, deciduous. Veutrals under the anterior third of the pectorals. Classifica- 

 Twenty species. jj^q 



Genus V. Emmelichthys, Rich. {Eruthrichthys, Schleg.) Acanthop- 

 Form of the body that of Smarts or Caesio. Dorsal more deeply terous 

 notched than that of Gerres, the last two or three spinous rays being Fishes, 

 almost detached. Very slender setaceous ]>haryngeal teeth ; none y j 



on the mouth. .laws moderately protractile directly forwards. Head ^ 



and body, and bases of the vertical fins, scaiy. Scales ctenoid. No 

 spines on the head. Preoperculum and suboperoulum very minutely 

 crenulated. Suprascapula irregularly dentate. Branchiostegals 

 seven. Two species. 



Genus VI. Ditrema, Schleg. Jaw teeth minute, pluriserial, 

 with a few conical ones in front; no vomerine or palatine teeth. 

 Snout a horizontal protractile tube. Opercular pieces and suborbi- 

 tar scale bones not denticulated. Dorsal single, low ; anal and 

 genital apertures apart ; anal fin having three spines and numerous 

 simple rays. Branchiostegals six. 



Genus VII. Dipterygonotus, Bleek. No teeth on the maxil- 

 laries, vomer, or palatines. Opercular bones not denticulated, there 

 being a single flat spine on the operculum only. A horizontally pro- 

 tractile tubular mouth. Dorsal tins two, remote, not scaly. Cheeks 

 scaly. Branchiostegals seven. Macassar. 



Genus VIII. Apogenoides, Bleek. Setaceous maxillary teeth ; 

 no teeth on the vomer or palatines. Opercular bones not toothed ; 

 no opercular spine. Mouth little protractile. Dorsal two, remote, 

 not scaly. Branchiostegals six. Macassar. 



Genus IX. Mendosoma, Guich. Bodyoblong, compressed, scaly, 

 with the aspect of Mcena. Head small ; mouth protractile, with a 

 very small opening ; many conical teeth near the premaxillary 

 symphysis only, none on the mandible or vomer. Dorsals two, con- 

 tiguous, or one fin notched to its base. Ventrals thoracic, destitute 

 of the long acute scales. Branchiostegals six. Valparaiso. 



Genus X. Pentaprion, Bleek. Dorsal solitary. Mouth pro- 

 tractile downwards ; teeth on the jaws only. Spinous anal rays 

 five. Branchiostegals six. Batavia. 



Genus XI. Velifer, Schleg. Near Ctrsio artd Gerres. Body 

 very high and compressed. Dorsal and anal fins excessively large, 

 and supported by soft, thick, unjointed rays. Japan. 



Genus XII. Acharnes, Mull, and Trosch. Distinguished among 

 the MenidcE by the interrupted lateral line. Teeth on the jaws 

 card-like ; no palatine teeth. Protrusive mouth. Five branchioste- 

 gals. Dorsal deeply notched ; dissevered pharyngeals. No arma- 

 ture on the gill-cover or properculum ; no accessory gills. 



Genus XIII. Aphareus, Cuv. A genus of uncertain affinities, 

 and placed by the authors of the Histoire des Fcissons, after the 

 Nenidop, merely because no more fitting position occurred to them. 

 They were acquainted only with a dried specimen which seemed to 

 have some resemblance to Cfrsio, but differed from it in having an 

 obtuse gill-cover and large mouth with an elevated ray at the ends 

 of the dorsal and anal fins. A very narrow band of villiform teeth 

 on the jaws. Palate smooth, but the vomer projecting and produc- 

 ing two rounded eminences. No scales on the forehead, the lips, or 

 jaws ; but the cheeks, gill-cover, and top of the head scaly. Seven 

 branchiostegals. Suprascapula denticulated. Ventrals attached a 

 little behind the base of the pectorals. One species. 



Genus XIV. CH/Etopterus, Schleg. Comes nigh to Aphareus 

 in habit, but is furnished with vomerine teeth, and possesses four 

 branchiostegals. 



Family X.— MENID/E. 



Les Menides, Cuv. Distinguished from the Sparidce, which they 

 resemble, by the protractility of the mouth. Villiform teeth on the 

 jaws more or less short. Premaxillary pedicels long, admitting of 

 the body of the bone being thrust out horizontally when the man- 

 dible is long in proportion, but when that bone is abbreviated then 

 downwards. Some genera want teeth on the palate, others have 

 small ones on the vomer. Body scaly. Ventrals situated under the 

 pectorals ; dorsal furnished with very fine scales. Stomach of mo- 

 derate size ; pancreatic caeca varying from four to seven ; air-blad- 

 der large, simple, and rounded anteriorly, divided for the most part 

 into two pointed lobes posteriorly. 



Genus I. M.ena. Cuv. Aspect of a Sparoid, but occasionally 

 having teeth on the palate, and a denticulated preoperculum. Mouth 

 invariably very protractile. Four species. 



Genus II. Smaris, Cuv. No scales on the dorsal. Palate tooth- 

 less. General form of Mcena, Ten species. 



Genus III. Cesio, Cuv. Mouth but little protractile. Dorsal 

 far back, and in a great part covered with scales. General shape 

 inclining to fusiform. Twelve species. 



Genus IV. Gerres, Cuv. Mouth very protractile, descending 

 when thrust out. Dorsal capable of being concealed in a basal scaly 

 sheath. Small villiform teeth on the jaws, none on the palate. Pre- 

 operculum finely denticulated. Body compressed, elevated. Scales 



Family XI.— PSEUDOCHROMID-iE, Miill. and Trosch. 



Scaly fishes. Dorsal fin long. Jaw and palatine teeth ; no ar- 

 mature of the opercular hones ; interrupted lateral line ; double 

 under pharyngeals and hackle-formed pharyngeal teeth. Six bran- 

 chiostegals ; pectinated accessory gills. 



Genus I. CiCHLOPS. MuU.and Trosch. Generic characters of 

 Fseudochromis, only the card-like (or hackle-formed) teeth of the 

 palatines are wanting ; there is a row of vomerine teeth. The sto- 

 mach is csecal, the cajcal part short ; pancreatic caeca absent ; swim- 

 bladder simple. 



Genus II. Plesiops, Cuv. Aspect of Chromis. Eyes approxi- 

 mated. Ventrals very long. 



Genus III. Pseudochromis. Kiipp. 



LABYRINTHIBEANCHS. 



The peculiar structure of the pharyngeals in this family, 

 by which a quantity of water can be retained in their com- 

 plicated folds, is compared by Cuvier to the leaflets of a 

 camel's paunch. The apparatus is covered by convex gill- 

 covers that fit closely to the shoulders ; so that even when 

 the fish is out of the water the inclosed liquid cannot eva- 



