420 Acanthopterygii; Synentognathi 
ing families of fishes, there is no mesocoracoid, and in very 
nearly all of these families the duct to the air-bladder disappears 
at an early stage of development. 
The Garfishes: Belonide.— There are two principal groups 
or families among the Synentognathi, the Belonide, with strong 
jaws and teeth, and the Exocetide, in which these structures 
are feeble. Much more important characters appear in the 
anatomy. In the Belonide the third upper pharyngeal is 
small, with few teeth, and the maxillary is firmly soldered to 
the premaxillary. The vertebre are provided with zygapophyses. 
The species of Belonide are known as garfishes, or needle- 
fishes. They resemble the garpike in form, but have nothing 
else in common. The body is long and slender, covered with 
small scales: Sharp, unequal teeth fill the long jaws and the 
Fig. 334.—Needle-fish, Tylosurus acus (Lacépéde). New York. 
dorsal is opposite the anal, on the hinder part of the body. These 
fishes are green in color, even the bones being often bright 
green, while the scales on the sides have a silvery luster. The 
species are excellent as food, the green color being associated 
with nothing deleterious. All are very voracious and some of 
the larger species, 5 or 6 feet long, may be dangerous even to 
man. Fishermen have been wounded or killed by the thrust 
of the sharp snout of a fish springing into the air. The garfishes 
swim near the surface of the water and often move with great 
swiftness, frequently leaping from the water. The genus 
Belone is characterized by the presence of gill-rakers. Belone 
belone is a small garfish common in southern Europe. Belone 
platura occurs in Polynesia. The American species (Tylosurus) 
lack gill-rakers. Tylosurus marinus, the common garfish of 
