XXII ACANTHOPTERYGII 653 
SYNOPSIS OF THE FAMILIES. 
I. Gills four, a slit behind the fourth. 
A. Two nostrils on each side. 
1. Ventrals with 1 spine and 6 to 13 soft rays, 
1. Berycidae. 
2. Ventrals with not more than 5 soft rays. 
Lower pharyngeal bones not completely united, showing at 
least a median suture. 
a. Gill-membranes nearly always free from isthmus. 
* Ventrals little if at all behind the pectorals. 
7 Third vertebra without transverse processes or with 
sessile ribs. 
§ A more or less developed subocular shelf, or inner ~ 
lamina of the suborbitals supporting the eye-ball, 
sometimes reduced to a mere process of the 
second suborbital. 
|| Ribs inserted on the transverse processes, when 
these are developed. 
Body covered with very large bony scales; ventrals with a very strong spine 
and 2 or 3 very short soft rays. : . 2. Monocentridae. 
Dorsal very short, with few graduated, adnate spines, aual very long 
3. Pempheridae. 
Spinous dorsal usually well developed, soft dorsal usually not much more 
developed than the anal; palate usually toothed 
11. Serranidae. 
Dorsal and anal fins elongate and formed mostly of articulated soft rays, the 
spines feeble and few. : ‘ . 12. Pseudochromididae. 
Dorsal and anal fins much daacie without distinct spines; body band- 
hike . _ ! . 13. Cepolidae. 
Teeth in the jaws fied fo form a beak : . 14. Hoplognathidae. 
Soft dorsal and anal much elongate ; a separate spinous dorsal 
15. Sillaginidae. 
Soft dorsal much longer than the anal; a separate spinous dorsal 
6. Sciaenidae. 
||| Ribs mostly sessile, behind the parapophyses ; 
body deep; mouth moderately large and pro- 
tractile. 
Post-temporal forked, distinct from skull. . 25. Scorpididae. 
Post-temporal completely ankylosed to the skull; mouth very protractile 
26. Caproidae. 
S$ No subocular shelf. 
|| Ribs mostly sessile, behind the parapophyses ; 
anal spines 3 to 14. 
Teeth conical; palate toothed ; mouth feebly protractile 
4, Centrarchidae. 
Teeth incisor-like ; fins densely scaled : . 5. Cyphosidae. 
Teeth conical; palate toothless . ; . 6. Lobotidae. 
Maxillary very slender; mouth very protractile . 4. Toxotidae. 
No entopterygoid ; mouth very protractile . . 8. Nandidae. 
