248 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



Order 12. ACANTHOPTERI. 



Ventrals thoracic or jugular; usually with one spine and five soft rays. 

 Dorsal fin with a few or many of the anterior rays developed as stiff, in- 

 articulate spines, the genus Lota, among our fishes, forming an ex- 

 ception. Anal with usually one or more sj^ines. Scales generally, but 

 not always, ctenoid. 



An extensive order of fishes, including our sunfishes, bass, perch, etc. 



KEY TO THE FAMILIES OF ACANTHOPTERI. 



A. Dorsal fin with three or more spines; anal with one or more 



spines. Ventrals usually thoracic. Scales usually ctenoid. 



1. Dorsal with three or four spines. Ventrals without spine and 



with seven soft rays. Aphredoderidoe, p. 248. 



2. Dorsal spines slender, six or more in number. Ventrals 



with one spine and three or four soft rays. Dorsal 



with six or more slender spines. Scales few or none. 



Cottidce, p. 290. 

 3. Ventral fins with one spine and five soft rays. Dor- 

 sal spines four or more. 

 a. Dorsal spines four; anal three. Scales large, cycloid. Size 

 of fish small, one and one-half inch. Elassomatidce, ip. 250. 

 aa. Dorsal spines more than four. 



b. Vomer with rare exceptions furnished with teeth. Lat- 

 eral line not extending on the rays of the tail, 

 c. Pseudobranchite indistinct, covered with skin. Anal 

 spines three to eight. Centrarchidce, p. 250. 



cc. Pseudobranchise well developed. 



d. Anal spines one or two. Percidce, p. 265. 



dd. Anal spines three. Serranidie, p. 287. 



bb. Vomer without teeth. Pores of lateral line extending on 



caudal rays. Seuenidcp, p. 288. 



AA. Dorsal and anal fins without spines; the dorsal in our only genus 



divided into two distinct parts. Ventrals jugular. Scales 



small, cycloid. Gadid(e, p. 293. 



Family APHREDODERID.E. 



Form perch-like. Head large. Scales strongly ctenoid. No lateral 

 line. Teeth on vomers and palatines. Upper margin of mouth formed 

 by the premaxillaries. Maxillary slipping under the border of the pre- 

 orbital. Preopercle serrated. Opercle with a spine. Ventrals without 

 spine and with seven soft rays. 



