^°l89o!"'] PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 367 



— Ci/clojyferhlw, Putnam, Proc. Am. Assoc. Adv. Sci., 1573, v. 22, B, p. 337, 1874. 



= Ci/cIoj)ferid(L', CoUett, Norw. North Sea Exped., 1881. 



= Ci/clopieridce, Jordan and Gilbert, Syn. Fishes N. Am., p. 744, 1882. 



Sytionyms as suhfamihj names. 



<^Cyclopterhii, Bonaparte, Nuovi Anuali delle Sci. Nat., t. 2, p. 132, 1833; t. 4, p. 193, 



1840. 

 <Disco&o/i', Miiller, Archiv f. Natnrg., 0. Jg., v. 1, p. 279, 1843. 

 <^Cycloi)teri)ta'., Gill, Cat. Fishes East C. N. Amer., p. 47, I8G1. 

 ^^Cydopterina, Giitither, Cat. Fishes Brit. Miis., v. 3, pp. 14.j, 18CI. 

 =Cydopierinw, Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., (v. 1(5), p. 189, 1864. 



DIAGNOSIS. 



Cyclopteroitlea with a short ovate body, the abdoininal cavity more 

 than half as long as the caudi-trunk, the neural and hnenial S{)iues much 

 deflected backwards and mostly elongated, the interspinals mostly 

 trending in the same direction as the vertebral spines, ribs continued 

 on anterior caudal vertebroe, dorsalis and analis mostly confined to pos- 

 terior half of body, spinous dorsalis ditterentiated or obsolete, cranium 

 with the choudrocraniuQi very extensive, and with the stay broad and 

 expanded backwards and connecting with the inner ridge of the pre- 

 operculum. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Body oblong oval, inflated, and with the back typically more or less 

 elevated and with a stout caudal peduncle. 



Anus behind the middle. 



SMn more or less lax, generally covered with tubercles or spines, but 

 sometimes smooth. 



Lateral line indistinct and concurrent with the back or obsolete. 



Head rather short, rhombic in profile, little compressed, and covered 

 with skin continuous with the skin of the body, and concealing all the 

 bones, which can only be examiue<l on dissection. 



Eyes lateral, mostly in the anterior half of the head. 



Nostrils double ; the anterior and i)osterior separated by a moderate 

 bridge. 



Mouth terminal or subterminal, small, and with the cleft little oblique. 



Jaa-s normally developed ; inter maxillines with the ascending i)edicles 

 moderate, appressed and laminilorm, separated b3' a shallow cleft from 

 the compressed lateral processes. 



Supramaxillines with the sella extended mesiad behind, and with the 

 posterior limbs expanded backwards into lamelliforjn portions al)ove 

 suddenly truncated and closing in front of the styliform or claviform 

 portions into which the limbs are extended. 



Lower jaw with a rather deep symphysis, compressed, and with the 

 articular bone extending into a process downwards and forwards. 



Teeth acute, in bands on the jaws, but none on the palate. 



Lips rather thick. 



Tongue fleshy and free all around. 



