ICHTHYOLOGY. 



different names {Sca7'its Sclilosseri and Labrits jaculutor), 

 neitlier of which is the right one; and there is no doubt of 

 its being identical with Hamilton Buchanan's Coins cha- 

 tereus, a supposed new species from the Ganges. It seems 

 iretty widely distributed throughout the Indian Archipelago, 

 and is known to the Malays by the name of Ikan-sunipit. 



Family XVIII.— CH^TODONTID^, Bonap. 



Squamipenncs, Cuv. The most apparent character of this fa- 

 mily is the incrustation of the soft portions of the dorsal and anal 

 fins, and often of the spinous parts also, with scales. Scales strongly 

 ctenoid. Body generally greatly compressed. Intestines long, and 

 pyloric cjeca numerous. Dentition various, giving rise to generic 

 subdivisions. 



(a.) CH.ETODONTINI, Bonap. Brush-like teeth on the jaws, none 

 on the palate. 



Genus I. Ch.etodon, Linn. Preopercuhim not spinous. Dor- 

 sal single, entirely scaly ; no prolongations of its spinous rays, but 

 the soft dorsal sometimes ending in a long filament. Muzzle 

 comparatively short, but more or less projecting. Teeth like long 

 bristles densely crowded. Pyloric ca?ca long, slender, and numer- 

 ous ; air-bladder strong. Body compressed, elliptical, or nearly 

 orbicular. Tan short. Caudal truncated. Head small. Branchi- 

 ostegals six. Spinous rays, in most twelve or thirteen in the dorsal, 

 and three in the anal. Sixty-five species. 



Genus II. Ciielmon, Linn. Ckcctodons, with a long slender 

 bill, formed by the elongation of the premaxillaries and mandible. 

 JIaxillary roundish, llouth very narrow, at the end of the bill; 

 teeth short, villiform. Body very high. Dorsal and anal high 

 and scaly ; caudal square. Scales large. Three species. 



Genus III. ilEGAPKOTODON, Guich. Distinguished from Chcc- 

 todon by a cluster of longer teeth, with hooked points, situated on 

 the end of the mandible. Algiers. 



Genus IV. Heniochus, Cuv. 'No preopercular spines. Spin- 

 ous rays of the single dorsal much graduated, the third or fourth 

 one having a long filamentous tip, like a whip-tliong. Body covered 

 with large scales. Branchiostegals five. Body obliquely rhomboidal, 

 the apex of the soft anal and the filamentous dorsal spine being 

 at opposite angles, and the mouth and soft dorsal forming the other 

 two corners. Profile nearly vertical. Preoperculum serrated. 

 Five species. 



Genus V. Zanclus, Comm. No preopercular spines. The fili- 

 form-tipped spinous dorsal ray of Heniochus, and nearly the same 

 form of body, but the scales are extremely small. Muzzle more 

 tubular and projecting, but not so much as in Chelmon. Posterior 

 parts of the soft dorsal and anal low, with a straight inclined out- 

 line, so that the mouth and tail are the opposing angles of the 

 rhomb ; the other two being the long dorsal spine and apex of the 

 soft anal, as in Heniochus. Stomach cacal, of moderate capacity ; 

 fourteen pancreatic cseca. Two species. 



Genus VI. Histiopterus, Schleg. Resembling Heniochus and 

 Taurichthys in the form of the body. Dorsal fin very tall, with four 

 strong spines, without scales. Cheeks scaly. Preoperculum, oper- 

 culum, and top of the head and snout presenting the granulated 

 surfaces of the bones. Snout more or less elongated and tubular, 

 the elongation being chiefly in the nasal, vomer, and lower limb of 

 the preoperculum and other bones supporting the jaws, which are 

 at the extremity of the snout. Teeth coarsely bristle-formed, blunt, 

 crowded, in a wide band on the jaws. Eye large. Three species. 



Genus VII. Ephippus, Cuv. No preopercular spines. Dorsal 

 deeply notched between the spinous and soft portions ; the spinous 

 part being destitute of scales, and capable of folding into a scaly 

 furrow on the back as in the Scitenoids. Three anal spines. Body 

 oval or nearly orbicular. Ventral profile almost horizontal. Pec- 

 toiui fins short. Branchiostegals six. Four species. 



Genus Vlll. Drepane, Cuv. Ephippi, with long pointed pec- 

 torals. Bodies high and more rhomboidal, the ventral profile de- 

 scending to the soft anal. Branchiostegals six. 



Genus IX. Scatopiiagus, Cuv. Dorsal deeply notched between 

 the spinous and soft part. No preopercular spines; four anal spines. 

 Scales small, lost in the epidermis, but ctenoid in structure. Body 

 a broad oval. Tail between the vertical fins very short. Stomach 

 siphonal; many pancreatic caeca; air-bladder simple, pretty large. 

 Six species. 



Genus X. Taurichthys, Cuv. Dorsal less deeply notched. 

 A protuberance on the occiput, and a horn opposite the middle of 

 each orbit. Ventrals rather large. Form unevenly subrhomboidal, 

 higher than long. The dorsal apex formed by the fourth or fifth 

 spinous ray ; second anal spine the largest. Preoperculum not 

 spinous. Face concave. Two species. 



Genus XI. Uolocanthus, Lacep. Dorsal single, scarcely 



notched, or wholly even. A large spine at the angle of the pre- Classifica 

 operculum. Body a regular oval. Vertical fins all scaly. Border 

 of the preoperculum generally serrated. Bi'anchiostegals six. 

 Twenty-six species. 



Genus XII. Pomacanthus, Cuv. More elevated than Halocan- 

 thus, but still having a nearly oval form. Preorbitar and preoper- 

 culum always with entire edges, but with the strong spine at the 

 angle of the latter. Dorsal spines generally fewer than in Hulo- 

 canthus (nine, or rarely ten) ; anal spines three or more, deeply im- 

 bedded in front of the anal. Teeth furnished with two short la- 

 teral points, as in a few Holocanthi. Six species. 



Genus XIII. Plat ax, Cuv. .Setiform brush-like teeth, but in 

 front of them a row of trenchant teeth trilobate at the points, as in 

 a few Holocanthi, but more evident in this genus. Body very much 

 compressed and elevated, so that it appears to graduate insensibly 

 into the dorsal and anal, which taper to long points ; the entire 

 height of the fish much exceeding its length ; these fins are scaly, 

 and the spinous rays (which are few in the dorsal) are buried in 

 their front edges. Ventrals long and pointed; caudal rounded. 

 Branchiostegals six. Fourteen species. 



Gends XIV. Psettus, Comm. Body compressed. Dorsal and 

 anal scaly, with the points more or less falciform. Spines almost 

 concealed; might form a group in the genus Chcptodon ; but the 

 teeth are rather villiform than setiform. Ventrals reduced to a 

 single spine, the short rays being obsolete. Branchiostegals six. 

 Some are more elevated, and others more rounded or oval. Dorsal 

 spines eight ; anal spines three. Three species. 



Genus XV. Hypsinotus, Schleg. Ventrals close to the anus; 

 soft dorsal low. Height of the body nearly equal to its length. 

 Branchiostegals six. 



Tribe II. — Pimelepterini (Bonap.) Chcetodontidce, with pa- 

 latine teeth and with tarenchant teeth on thejaios. 



Genus XVI. Pimelefterus, Lacep. (Dipterodon and Xysteres, 

 Lacep.) Distinctive character, uniserial teeth, each having a 

 trenchant limb rising at a right angle from a horizontal heel. 

 Body oblong. Head obtuse. Dorsal single. Fins thickish; the 

 soft rays being densely covered with scales. General aspect much 

 like that of Crenidens. Head scaly. Ten species. 



Genus XVII. Dipterodon, Cuv. H\xc:\\ \We Pimelepterus, but 

 the dorsal is deeply notched anterior to the soft rays, and the in- 

 cisorial teeth want the bony heel. Branchiostegals six. One 

 species. 



Tribe III. — CIiatodontidcE, tvith villiform or card-lihe teeth 

 OH the jaivs and palate. Included in Pimelepterini of 

 Bonap. 



Genus XVIII. Brama, Bloch, Schneid. Vertical fins covered 

 with scales, the articulated dorsal occupying much of the back, and, 

 as is usual in the family, higher in front, on the border of which 

 three spinous rays are buried ; becoming low posteriorly. Anal 

 shorter, but similar in form. Mouth nearly vertical when closed. 

 Teeth card-like on the jaws and palatines. Body compressed, ovate 

 in outline, obtuse at the facial end, tapering into the tail. Snout 

 very short and forming part of the obtuse profile. Branchiostegals 

 seven. Stomach short ; pancreatic caeca five. Three species. 



Genus XIX. Nemoerama, Valenc. {Polymixia noiilis, Lowe.) 

 Body oblong, covered with very rough scales. Head small, scaly. 

 Snout and upper jaw naked. Mandible scaly, with two long sym- 

 physial barbels. Teeth on the jaws, palatines, vomer, and tongue, 

 minute, densely crowded, villiform. Opercular bones unarmed 

 and scaly, except the interoperculum, which is n,aked and skinny. 

 Dorsal fins united ; ventrals seven-rayed. Branchiostegals four. 



Genus XX. Crius, Valenc. (icirus, Lowe.) Body compressed, 

 keeled anteriorly, clothed wholly with smooth scales. Head small, 

 truncated, scaly. Preoperculum furrowed on the limb, with an 

 entire margin without spines; operculum, suboperculum, and inter- 

 operculum without spines or serratures, but sub-ciliated. A single 

 series of very small setaceous teeth. Dorsal, anal, and caudal fina 

 scaly. Branchiostegals six. 



Genus XXI. Scorpis, Valenc. Unites the characters of TVacAi- 

 notiis uni Platax; and, but for the teeth covering all parts of the 

 roof of the mouth, might have entered the latter genus. Body 

 compressed, oval. Muzzle short and rounded, forming part of the 

 circumference of the oval profile. Broad band of villiform teeth 

 on the jaws, vomer, and palatines ; those on the pterygoid bones 

 exceedingly minute. Most of the head scaly. Scales strongly ci- 

 liated. Ventrals, a spine, and five articulated rays. Two species. 



Genus XXII. Pempiieris, Cuv. Similar to Brama in outline, 

 except that the occiput and shoulder are less convex, and the pos- 

 terior parts taper more. The teeth are villiform. The short and 



