88 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 
Family PSALLISOSTOMATID&. 
The Gar Pikes. 
Body elongate, subcylindrical. Jaws more or less elongate, 
spatulate or beak-like, and upper projecting beyond lower. Eyes 
small. Premaxillary forming most of margin of upper jaw. 
Maxillary transversely divided into several pieces. Lower jaw 
composed of as many pieces as in reptiles, and coronoid present. 
Both jaws with an outer series of small teeth followed by 1 or 2 
series of large teeth, besides which on jaws, vomer and pala- 
tines, are series of small close-set rasp-like teeth. Large teeth 
of jaws conical in form, pointed and striate, and placed at right 
angles to jaw. ‘These teeth resting in a rather deep furrow pro- 
tected on outside by raised border of jaw, and on inside by a 
ridge of same nature. They are pierced in center by a foramen 
which communicates with maxillary canal and through which 
nerves and blood-vessel enter pulp cavity of tooth. Forms of 
folded layers of dentine within teeth are peculiar, Pharyngeals 
with rasp-like teeth. ‘Tongue toothless, short, broad, emarginate, 
set free at tip. Nostrils near end of upper jaw. Gill-membranes 
somewhat connected, free from isthmus. Gills 4, a slit behind 
fourth. Gill-rakers very short. Pseudobranchiz present. 
Branchiostegals 3. An accessory gill on inner side of opercle. 
Air-vessel cellular, lung-like, somewhat functional. Stomach not 
coecal. Pyloric appendages numerous. Spiral valve of intestines 
rudimentary. Body covered with hard rhombic ganoid scales or 
plates, which are imbricated in oblique series running downward 
and backward. External bones of skull very hard and rugose. 
Fins with fulcra. Dorsal fin short, rather high, posterior and 
nearly opposite anal which is similar in form. ‘Tail heterocercal, 
in young produced as a filament beyond caudal. Caudal convex. 
Pectorals and ventrals moderate, few-rayed, and latter nearly 
midway between former and anal. 
Large fishes chiefly of the fresh waters of North America. 
They are very voracious and therefore distructive to smaller 
fishes. Not of value as food on account of their rank and tough 
flesh. ‘In habits sluggish. A single species has been taken in the 
Delaware tide-water. 
