THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 23 
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Sub-Order PERCOMORPHI. 
The Perch Like Fishes. 
Key to the Families. 
a. (Scombroidei.) Caudal peduncle slender, usually with a widely forked 
caudal. 
b. Last dorsal and.anal rays as series of finlets. SCOMBRID 
bb. No finlets. 
c. No caudal; body band-shaped. TRICHIURIDE 
cc. Caudal present; body not band-shaped. 
d. Snout produced in a sword. XIPHIIDA 
dd. Snout not produced. 
e. A spinous dorsal. 
f. CEsophagus without tooth-like processes. 
g. Dorsal spines connected by membrane, sometimes ob- 
solete with age; body short to orbicular. 
h. Scales minute or obsolete, cycloid, those along 
lateral line sometimes armed; tail deeply forked. 
CARANGIDE 
hh. Scales moderate or weakly ciliate, never armed 
along lateral line; tail not deeply forked. 
POMATOMIDA 
gg. Several free dorsal spines; body elongate; scales 
small; caudal little forked. RACH YCENTRID A 
ff. CEsophagus armed with tooth-like processes. 
1. Spinous dorsal and ventrals rudimentary or 
absent. STROMATEIDA 
a. Spinous dorsal and ventrals present. 
CENTROLOPHID 
ee. No spinous dorsal, all rays branched and articulate.: 
CORYPH E NID 
aa. (Percoidea.) Caudal peduncle deep, usually with short obtuse caudal. 
j. Vent anterior, or at throat in adult. APHREDODERID 
jj. Vent posterior, as usual in most fishes. 
k. Maxillary not sheathed by preorbital, or only covered by edge of 
latter; accessory ventral scale small or wanting; opercle, usually 
ending in a spine. 
l. Precaudal vertebre with transverse processes from third to 
fourth to last; ribs all but last 1 to 4 sessile, inserted on centra 
behind transverse processes; anal spines III or more; pseudo- 
branchie rudimentary, covered by skin. CEN TRARCHID A: 
ll. Precaudal anteriorly without transverse processes; all or most 
of ribs inserted on transverse processes when these are de- 
veloped. 
