XXIII ACANTHOPTERYGII 663 
Fam. 16. Sciaenidae.— Also closely related to the Serranidae. 
Dorsal fin with a short spinous and a long soft portion; anal 
much shorter than the latter. Palate usually toothless. 
A large family of about 150 species, mostly marine.  Prin- 
cipal genera: Arripis, Sciaena, Corvina, Otolithus, Ancylodon, 
Nebris, Larimus, Pogonias, Haplonotus, Umbrina, Eques. 
Many of these fishes reach a large size, and the flesh of nearly 
all is esteemed. The Meagre (Sciaena aguila) is sometimes 
taken on our coast. The Drum (Pogonias chromis) so called 
from the sounds which it produces, in common with many other 
Sciaenids, is remarkable for having the lower pharyngeal bones 
united, as is also the case in the North American freshwater 
genus Haplonotus. The air-bladder is usually large and compli- 
cated, provided with more or less numerous appendages. 
Fam. 17. Gerridae—— Agree in the character of the vertebral 
column with the Serranidae, but differ in the absence of a sub- 
ocular shelf; the very protractile mouth usually descends when 
protruded and the praemaxillary emits an upward lateral pro- 
cess ; palate toothless; lower pharyngeal bones usually large and 
more or less completely coalesced. 
About 60 species of carnivorous, mostly small, fishes, from 
the tropical seas, referable to 3 genera: Gerres, Equula, Gazza. 
Fam. 18. Lactariidae.— Intermediate between Serranidae and 
Trichodontidae. No subocular shelf; palate toothed; branchio- 
stegal rays 7 ; scales small, cycloid, deciduous ; spinous dorsal short ; 
anal longer than the soft dorsal; scapula with two foramina. 
Lactarius delicatulus, from the coasts of Southern Asia. 
Fam. 19. Trichodontidae.—Agree in the character of the 
vertebral column with the Serranidae, but have no subocular 
shelf; body naked, and anal much longer than the soft dorsal; 
palate toothless; only 5 branchiostegal rays. 
Two genera, each with a single species, from the North 
Pacific, Zrichodon and Arctoscopus, bearing some resemblance to 
the Trachinidae, with which they have usually been associated. 
Fam. 20. Latrididae—Marine Fishes intermediate between 
the Serranidae and the Haplodactylidae, agreeing with the former 
in the extent of the anal fin, which is nearly as long as the soft 
dorsal, and with the latter in the absence of a subocular shelf and 
the posterior position of the ventrals. A single genus, Latris, 
with 3 or 4 species, from the coasts of Australia and New Zealand. 
