A REVIEW OF THE FISHES OF THE FAMILY HISTIOP 

 TERID.E, FOUND IN THE WATERS OF JAPAN; WITH A 

 NOTE ON TEPHRITIS GUNTHER. 



By David Starr Jordan, 



Of Stanford Unirersity, California. 



In this paper is given an account of the species of fishes, three in 

 number, wliich represent in Japan the family Histiopteridaj. 



Family HISTIOPTERID.F]. 



LONG-NOSED PORGIES OR BOAR-FISHES. 



Body deep and compressed, the upper outline forming an unequal 

 curve, the lower nearly straight from th^ chin to the anal lin, there 

 abruptly angulated. Head relatively low, the profile convex about the 

 eyes, and more or less concave at the base of the projecting snout. Bones 

 of head all covered with rough radiating striae; no spines on head; edge 

 of preopercle and scapular scale sometimes serrulate ; no suborbital sta}^ ; 

 no scales on head except on cheeks and temporal region. Mouth small, 

 terminal, the jaws about equal; maxillary small, the proximal part 

 more or less slipping under the edge of the bony preorbital, the distal 

 end covered or free; lips sometimes fringed with small barbels; teeth 

 in narrow bands, those of the outer row more or less evenly enlarged; 

 teeth on vomer sometimes present, none on the palatines. Opercles 

 entire, rugose, as is also the shoulder girdle. Gill-rakers short and 

 thick. Eye moderate, the suborbital bones narrow and rugose. Nos- 

 trils double, both ovate. Scales rather small, rough ctenoid. Lateral 

 line complete, strongly arched, not extending on caudal fin. Branchi- 

 ostegals 7. Gill membranes separate, free from the isthnms. Dorsal 

 fin very high, continuous, the soft rays progressively shortened pos- 

 teriorly, the spines 4 to 14 in number, strong and rough, not depres- 

 sible in a groove. Anal with 2, 3, 4, or 5 spines, the second enlarged. 

 Soft dorsal long or short; anal rather short, caudal lunate or trun- 

 cate. Ventrals I, 5, the spine very strong, the insertion behind that 

 of pectoral fin. Pectoral long, its form not symmetrical, its upper 

 ra3^s longest. Pyloric cffica numerous. Air bladder present, large. 



This is a small group of large carnivorous fishes, with rough head, 

 scales, and fins, its members difl^ering considerably among themselves. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXXIl— No. 1523. 



235 



