PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 417 



Descriptions of the subfamily Tetrapturinje and the genera 

 Tetrapturus and Histiophorus. 



Subfamily TETRAPTURm^, Gill. 



Tetrapturinoe, Gill, in Rep. U. S. F. C. i, 187.% p. 787; Cat. Fish. E C^oast N. A. 1873, p. 

 9 (uarue only; no descrii^tiou). 



Diagnosis of subfamily. 



Xipbiid fishes, with bodies much compressed, covered with elongate, 

 scale-like scutes. Sword somewhat flattened, but rounded at edges, 

 spear-like. Tooth-like granulations upon the jaws. Pelvic arch pres- 

 ent. Veutrals reduced to a single ray. Dorsal fin single {Histiophorus) 

 or in two portions, but little remote, separated by aborted section ( Tetrap- 

 turus). Preopercular spine absent (but probably present in young). 

 Two keels upon each side of caudal peduncle. Ultimate dorsal and 

 anal rays suctorial. Air-bladder very large, sacculated, consisting of 

 numerous separate divisions. Intestine short, straight. Two genera, 

 Histiophorus and Tetrapturus. 



Synopsis of genera. 



Dorsal fin single, liigli, sail-like : ventral rays two or three Histiophorus, Lac^p^de. 



Dorsal tin double, A'((j/( j«s-like : ventral rays one Tetrapturus, Rafine.sque. 



Genus Tetrapturus Eaflnesque. 



Tetrapturus, Rafinesque, Caratteri, etc., 1810, p. 54, pi. 1, tig. 1. 

 Tetrapterus, Agassiz, Poiss. Foss. v, 1843. 



Diagnosis of genus. 



Xiphiid, tetrapturine fishes, with bodj- much compressed. Two dor- 

 sal and two anal fins in adult state; single dorsal and anal in immature 

 ages. Tooth-like asperities on prilatiues and lower jaw. Body covered 

 with cultriform scale-like scutes, under epidermis. Dorsal rays much 

 more numerous than in Xiphias, less so than in Histiophorus. Ventrals 

 rudimentary, consisting of one pair of very elongate, flattened rays. 

 Vertebrae 25 ( T. belone). Pyloric coeca very numerous. Intestine short, 

 nearly straight. 



Habitat. — Mediterranean, tropical and subtropical Atlantic. 



1. Tetrapturus imperator (Schneider), Goode. 



Xiphias imperator, Schxeider, Bloch's Syst. Ichth. 1801, p. 93, pi. xxi (poor 

 tigure), founded on Duhamel, iii, p. 333, pi. xxvi, fig. 2. 



Tetrapturus helone, Rafixesque, Caratteri Animali o pianti della Sicilia, 1810, 

 p. 54, pi. i, fig. 1. — CuviER, Regne Animal, 2d ed. 1829, ii,p.201.— Cuvier 

 & Valexciexx'es, Hist. Nat. Poiss. viii, 1831, p. 280, jds. ccxxvii (skeleton), 

 ccxxviii (adult fish).— Boxaparte, Catologo Metodico, 184(5, p. 80. 



Tetrapterus belone, Agassiz, Poissons Fossiles, 1843, v, ]). 89, t-ab. E. (fine figure 

 of skeleton). 



Tetrapterurus helone, Boxaparte. 



Histiophorus heloue, GijXTiiER, Cat. Fish Brit. JIus. ii, 1860, p. 513. 



Skeponopodtts typns, Nardo, Isis, 1833, Heft iv, p. 417 (Adriatic). 



Proc. Nat. Mus 81 27 April 95, 1889. 



