310 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



XII. FAMILY OF PIPE-MOUTHED FISHES. 

 FISTULARID^l. 



Representative in British Fauna. 



Gen. 50. Centriscus. Sp. 94. C. scolopax. The Trumpet-fish. 



With the Piped-mouthed Fishes we reach, accord- 

 ing to the arrangement we are observing, the last 

 family of the former subdivision — the Spinous- 

 rayed — of the First great Series, or the Osseous 

 Fishes. As its name implies, this family is charac- 

 terized by a long tube, formed in part by the pro- 

 longation of various bones of the head and face, at 

 the extremity of which is placed the mouth, com- 

 posed of its usual bony and soft parts : the ribs also 

 are very short or wanting. The family is subdi- 

 vided into two : the Fistularia, with a cylindrical 

 body ; and the Centriscus, in which it is oval and 

 compressed. The Trumpet-fish belongs to the latter 

 of these subdivisions. It has the tubular muzzle, 

 the characteristic of the family, with the body oval 

 and oblong ; it has only two or three slender gill- 

 rays, a spinous dorsal fin, and small ventrals behind 

 the pectorals. The mouth is very small, and opens 

 obliquely ; the air-bladder is considerable in size. 



Gen. L. Centriscus. The members of this genus 

 have the anterior dorsal placed far back, with its 

 first spine-ray long, strong, and supported by an 

 apparatus which connects it with the shoulder and 



