A REVIEW OF THE LIZARD-FISHES OR SYNODONTID^ 

 OF THE WATERS OF JAPAN. 



B}^ David Starr Jordan and Albert Christian Herre, 



Of Stanford University . 



In this paper is given an account of the Japanese species of the 

 family of hzard-fishes or Synodontidje. It is based on material col- 

 lected in 1900 by Professors Jordan and Snyder, and series of speci- 

 mens are in the United States National Museum and in the museum 

 of Stanford University. 



Family SYNODONTID.E. 



Body oblong or elongate, little compressed, with cycloid scales, 

 rarely naked; mouth very wide, the entire margm of upper jaw 

 formed by the long, slender premaxillaries, closely adherent to which 

 are the slender maxillaries, the latter mostly rudimentary or obso- 

 lete, never widened at tip; teeth mostly cardiform on both jaws, 

 tongue, and palatines; canines rarely present; large teeth usuall}" 

 depressible; no barbels. 



Opercular bones usually thin, but complete; gill membranes sep- 

 arate, free from isthmus; branchiostegals usually numerous; pseu- 

 dobranchia^ present; gill-rakers tubercular, obsolete, or modified 

 into teeth; no orbitosphenoid or mesocoracoid ; lateral line present; 

 dorsal fin moderate, of soft rays only, its insertion median; ventrals 

 rather large, median; pectoral fhis small, mserted high; caudal forked, 

 vertebrae numerous, essentially similar; fishes of sandy bottoms in the 

 warm seas; adipose fin present. 



In Japan, these fishes are known as Eso. 



KEY TO GENERA. 



a. SYNODONTIN.E. Teeth simple; gape wide; flesh firm. 

 h. Teeth on the palatines in a single band on each side. 

 c. Snout very blnnt, shorter than eye; anal fin longer than dorsal. 



Trachinocephahis. 1 . 

 cc. Snout rather acute, longer than eye; anal fin mucli shorter than dorsal. 



Synodns, 2. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXXII— No. 1544. 



513 



