THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 203 
Sub-Order SYNENTOGNATHI. 
The Synentognathous Fishes. 
They are allied to the Haplomi and the Percesoces and similarly 
indicating transition from the soft-rayed to the spiny-rayed fishes. 
Key to the families. 
a. Both jaws produced in the adult; upper short in young. 
b. No finlets. MASTACCEMBELIDZ 
bb. Dorsal and anal with detached finlets. SCOMBRESOCID AS 
aa. Lower jaw only, if at all, produced. 
c. Lower jaw produced in the adult. HEMIRAMPHIDA 
cc. Lower jaw not produced. EXOCETIDA 
Family MASTACCEMBELIDE. | 
The Needle Fishes. 
Body elongate, very slender, compressed or not. Both jaws 
produced in a beak, lower jaw longer, very much longer in the 
young. Maxillaries grown fast to premaxillaries. Each jaw 
with a band of small sharp teeth, besides a series of longer wide- 
set sharp conical teeth. Lower pharyngeals united to form a 
long slender narrow plate with flat surface and covered with small 
pointed teeth. Upper pharyngeals distinct, third pair little en- 
larged, and each with some 15 moderate unequal pointed teeth. 
Fourth pair well developed with similar teeth but without an- 
terior processes. Air-vessel present. Vertebree numerous with 
zygopophyses. Ovary single. Body covered with small thin 
scales. Lateral line very low, running as a fold along side of 
belly. Dorsal fin opposite anal, both rather long. No finlets. 
Carnivorous fishes bearing a superficial resemblance to the 
gar pikes and also like them very voracious. Found in all 
warm seas and sometimes entering fresh-water. ‘Their habits 
are ordinarily much like those of the pike, but when startled 
they swim along the surface of the water with extraordinary 
