﻿2 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  vol.98 
  

  

  Hubbs, 
  are 
  distinguished 
  by 
  having 
  nonpungent 
  dorsal 
  spines 
  or 
  first 
  

   dorsal 
  fin 
  elongate, 
  reaching 
  the 
  second, 
  whereas 
  the 
  ones 
  treated 
  

   herein 
  have 
  pungent 
  spines 
  in 
  first 
  dorsal 
  fin 
  not 
  reaching 
  the 
  second. 
  

   The 
  genus 
  Nannatherina 
  Regan, 
  included 
  in 
  the 
  silversides 
  by 
  Jordan 
  

   and 
  Hubbs, 
  has 
  been 
  placed 
  by 
  Regan 
  in 
  the 
  family 
  Kuhlidae. 
  

  

  Although 
  the 
  phallostethid 
  fishes 
  have 
  much 
  in 
  common 
  with 
  the 
  

   atherinids, 
  especially 
  in 
  fin 
  structure, 
  mouth 
  parts, 
  air 
  bladder, 
  and 
  

   other 
  features, 
  on 
  the 
  basis 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  known 
  differences 
  I 
  am 
  of 
  

   the 
  opinion 
  that 
  the 
  two 
  families 
  are 
  distinct 
  from 
  each 
  other, 
  the 
  

   Phallostethidae 
  ranking 
  among 
  the 
  Mugilidae, 
  Atherinidae, 
  Sphyrae- 
  

   nidae, 
  and 
  possibly 
  the 
  Polynemidae. 
  Among 
  other 
  characters, 
  the 
  

   specialization 
  of 
  the 
  copulatory 
  organs 
  separates 
  the 
  Phallostethidae, 
  

   which 
  may 
  be 
  considered 
  viviparous 
  silversides. 
  

  

  The 
  conclusions 
  herein 
  presented 
  were 
  made 
  after 
  several 
  hundred 
  

   lots 
  of 
  silversides, 
  containing 
  a 
  few 
  thousand 
  specimens 
  from 
  most 
  

   parts 
  of 
  the 
  world, 
  were 
  examined. 
  Despite 
  this 
  abundant 
  material, 
  

   most 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  National 
  Museum, 
  I 
  have 
  had 
  

   difficulty 
  in 
  assigning 
  the 
  species 
  to 
  genera 
  of 
  concise 
  definition, 
  

   mainly 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  complexity 
  of 
  the 
  numerous 
  kinds 
  of 
  sil- 
  

   versides 
  whose 
  characters 
  in 
  many 
  instances 
  overlap. 
  Inadequate 
  

   descriptions 
  in 
  the 
  literature 
  have 
  been 
  very 
  troublesome, 
  especially 
  in 
  

   regard 
  to 
  genera 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  based 
  entirely 
  on 
  external 
  characters. 
  

   No 
  attempt 
  is 
  made 
  to 
  place 
  under 
  each 
  genus 
  all 
  the 
  species 
  belong- 
  

   ing 
  there, 
  since 
  to 
  do 
  so 
  would 
  require 
  the 
  reexamination 
  of 
  the 
  types 
  

   scattered 
  in 
  museums 
  around 
  the 
  world. 
  The 
  range 
  of 
  each 
  genus 
  

   as 
  given 
  in 
  the 
  key 
  may 
  be 
  extended 
  as 
  various 
  species 
  are 
  more 
  

   thoroughly 
  studied 
  and 
  referred 
  to 
  the 
  genera 
  herein 
  characterized. 
  

  

  The 
  classification 
  that 
  follows 
  summarizes 
  the 
  subfamilies 
  and 
  

   genera 
  treated 
  in 
  this 
  paper. 
  The 
  arrangement 
  of 
  the 
  subfamilies 
  

   indicates 
  relationships. 
  The 
  specialized 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  air 
  bladder 
  

   and 
  first 
  few 
  haemal 
  arches 
  may 
  have 
  evolved 
  separately 
  in 
  the 
  vari- 
  

   ous 
  subfamilies. 
  

  

  Family 
  ATHERINIDAE 
  

  

  Subfamily 
  Atherininae 
  

  

  Genus 
  Atherina 
  Linnaeus 
  

  

  Genus 
  Hepsetia 
  Bonaparte 
  

  

  Genus 
  Atherinason 
  Whitley 
  

   Taeniomembrasinae, 
  new 
  subfamily 
  

  

  Genus 
  Taeniomemhras 
  Ogilby 
  

  

  Genus 
  Craterocephalus 
  McCulloch 
  

  

  Stenatherina, 
  new 
  genus 
  

  

  Genus 
  Alepidomus 
  Hubbs 
  

  

  Genus 
  Allanetta 
  Whitley 
  

  

  Hypoatherina, 
  new 
  genus 
  

  

  Genus 
  Pranesus 
  Whitley 
  

  

  Genus 
  Atherinomorus 
  Fowler 
  

  

  