362 THE RELATIONS OF CYCLOPTEROIDEA GILL. 



Acting ou the determination of Professor Putnam, Professors Jordan 

 and Gilbert, in their -'Synopsis of the Fishes of North A.merica," asso- 

 ciated the Gi/cdopteriihc and Liparidldce with the true mail cheeked 

 fishes, remarking that "the Chiridce, Scorpccnidce, Cottidce, Agonidxe, 

 TrigUdce, LiparkUdce and Cijclopteridce form a closely related series 

 {Cataphracti), and are distinguished from all the other Acanthopteri by 

 the presence of the suborbital stay." They even consider that " the 

 relations of Liparididw with the Cottidce are very close and the differ- 

 ences of trivial value." 



The examination of the skeletons aiul external characteristics of Cy- 

 clopterus and Liparis has led to the following conclusions : 



(1) The Cyclopteroidea are true mail-cheeked fishes most closely re- 

 lated to the Cottidce. 



■ (2) The Cyclo2}terid(CiMii\ Liparididfc may he associated together in a 

 peculiar superfainily — the Cyclopteroidea. 



(3) The Gy(dopiend(e form a peculiar family restricted to the genera 

 Cyclop)terus, Eamicrotremus and GycJopterichtliys. 



(4) The JAparidkkv h)rm another family typitied by the genus Liparis 

 and including also Careproctus^ Enantioliparis and Paraliparis. 



The characteristics of the superfamily Cyclopteroidea and the included 

 families are herein given. 



DIAGNOSIS OF CYCLOPTEROIDEA. 



Superfamily Cyclopteroidea. 



Synonymy. 



Cyclopteroidea Gill, Cat. Fishes E. C. N. Am,, p. 8 (name) 1873. 

 Cyclopteroidea Gill, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mas., v. II, p. 589 (diagaosis) 1839. 



Acanthopterygians with the third infraorbital bone developed as a 

 " stay" obliquely crossing the cheek and connecting with the preoper- 

 culum, the myodome suppressed, the post-temporal bifurcate and nor- 

 mally connected with the cranium, the actinosts enlarged and mostly 

 connected with the inner ridge of the proscapula, tlie bypercoracoid 

 being dislodged upwards and the hypocoracoid downwards on a row 

 with the four actiuosts, ribs sessile ou the vertebral centra or htema- 

 pophyses, pharyugobranchials reduced to the large epipharyngeal 

 (homologous with the third of typical Acanthopterygians), and ven- 

 trals modified to form a suctorial disk supported by six immovable 

 rays on each side converted into osseous tissue and without articula- 

 tions f etypically suppressed. 



They appear to have the branchial apparatus constructed on the same 

 plan as in the Gottoidea ; two or three basibranchials ossified ; hypohran- 

 chials of three pairs in line with the corresponding ceratobranchials of 

 fourth arch suppressed ', ceratobranchials of all and epibranchials (of 

 all or three) arches well developed; pharyngobranchials reduced to one 



