A REVIEW OF THE SAND LANCES OR AMMODYTID^E OF 

 THE WATERS OF JAPAN. 



By David Stark Jordan. 



Of Stanford Univernt)/, California. 



In this paper is given a review of the species of fishes constituting 

 the family of Annr.odytidff', known to inhabit the waters of Japan. 



Family AMMODYTID^E. 



Body elongate, lanceolate, compressed, naked or covered with small, 

 c3^cloid or sculptured scales. Head long, the lower jaw produced, the 

 mouth rather large; teeth in jaws small or wanting. Vomer promi- 

 nent, sometimes with horny appendages. Gill openings very wide, 

 the membranes separate or united, free from tiie isthmus. Pseudo- 

 branchiffi large, lamellate. Gill rakers long and slender. Gills 4, a 

 slit behind the fourth. Opercles well developed, the bones thin, 

 unarmed. Premaxillaries very protractile, the maxillaries long and 

 slender. Lateral line median or dorsal. Dorsal fin continuous, of 

 soft rays only. Caudal fin small, forked, free from dorsal and anal. 

 Vent behind middle of body; anal fin similar to dorsal but usually of 

 fewer rays. Pectorals moderate, inserted low. Ventrals jugular, of 

 a slender spine and three soft rays, or else altogether wanting. Lower 

 pharyngeals very small, separate. No air bladder. Pyloric cwcum 

 usually single. 



Small, silvery carnivorous fishes living on sand}^ shores and swim- 

 ming in schools, often bur3'ing themselves in the sand. They are 

 excellent as food. They belong to the subarctic fauna and to the fauna 

 of India. 



The recent discovery of the genus Embolichtkys^ provided with jug- 

 ular ventral fins shows that these fishes have no aflinity with the Per- 

 cesoces, but that they should be relegated to the neighborhood of 

 Ojphidion and F!erasfe)\ the association assigned to them by Cuvier 

 and Giinther. 



The Ammodytidfe are divisible into five genera. These constitute 

 three well-marked subfamilies, each of which might without violence 

 be conceded family rank. The group is not rich in species, not more 



than 8 to 10 being clearly defined. 



^ » ■__ 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXX— No. 1464. 



715 



