﻿On 
  the 
  Cirrhitiform 
  Percoids. 
  259 
  

  

  XXIX. 
  — 
  On 
  the 
  Cirrhitiform 
  Percoids. 
  

   By 
  C. 
  Tate 
  Regan, 
  M.A. 
  

  

  (Published 
  by 
  permission 
  of 
  the 
  Trustees 
  of 
  the 
  British 
  Museum.) 
  

  

  Dr. 
  Gunther 
  included 
  in 
  the 
  family 
  Oirrhitidse 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  

   Perch-like 
  fishes 
  with 
  the 
  lower 
  pectoral 
  rays 
  simple 
  and 
  with 
  

   the 
  pelvic 
  fins 
  rather 
  far 
  behind 
  the 
  pectorals. 
  Haplodactylus, 
  

   which 
  resembled 
  the 
  Cirrhitidse 
  in 
  these 
  features, 
  was 
  placed 
  

   by 
  him 
  in 
  the 
  Sparidse 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  its 
  different 
  dentition, 
  

   the 
  teeth 
  being' 
  compressed 
  instead 
  of 
  villiform. 
  

  

  After 
  making 
  a 
  detailed 
  study 
  of 
  these 
  fishes, 
  I 
  conclude 
  

   that 
  the 
  Cirrhitidaj 
  of 
  Gunther, 
  with 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  Haplo- 
  

   dactylus, 
  are 
  a 
  natural 
  and 
  well-defined 
  group 
  which 
  might 
  

   almost 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  a 
  single 
  family 
  with 
  five 
  subfamilies, 
  

   but 
  which 
  it 
  is, 
  perhaps, 
  better 
  to 
  recognize 
  as 
  a 
  division 
  — 
  

   Cirrhitiformes 
  — 
  of 
  the 
  suborder 
  Percoidea 
  of 
  the 
  order 
  

   Percomorphi. 
  

  

  The 
  Cirrhitiform 
  Percoids 
  have 
  the 
  following 
  character- 
  

   istics 
  : 
  — 
  Body 
  scaly 
  ; 
  lateral 
  line 
  complete, 
  continuous, 
  

   nearly 
  straight. 
  Spinous 
  dorsal 
  well 
  developed; 
  o 
  anal 
  

   spines; 
  caudal 
  of 
  15 
  principal 
  rays, 
  all 
  or 
  13 
  branched; 
  pec- 
  

   torals 
  with 
  the 
  lower 
  5 
  to 
  8 
  rays 
  simple 
  ; 
  pelvics 
  rather 
  far 
  

   behind 
  the 
  pectorals, 
  each 
  of 
  a 
  spine 
  and 
  5 
  branched 
  rays, 
  

   without 
  scaly 
  axillary 
  process. 
  Two 
  no.strils 
  on 
  each 
  side. 
  

   Gill-membranes 
  united, 
  free 
  from 
  the 
  isthmus 
  ; 
  3 
  to 
  6 
  

   branchiostegals 
  ; 
  4 
  gills 
  ; 
  pseudob 
  ranch 
  iae. 
  Last 
  3 
  upper 
  

   pharyngeals 
  toothed 
  ; 
  lower 
  pharyngeals 
  separate. 
  Prse- 
  

   maxillaries 
  with 
  ascending 
  pedicels 
  of 
  moderate 
  length 
  ; 
  

   maxillary 
  ramus 
  expanded 
  distally, 
  without 
  supramaxillary 
  ; 
  

   praeorbital 
  expanded 
  ; 
  prasoperculum 
  subcrescentic 
  ; 
  oper- 
  

   culum 
  rather 
  deep, 
  with 
  the 
  free 
  posterior 
  edge 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  

   concave 
  between 
  two 
  obtuse 
  or 
  acute 
  prominences; 
  sub- 
  

   operculum 
  long 
  and 
  narrow, 
  projecting 
  beyond 
  operculum; 
  

   hyo-palatine 
  bones 
  typically 
  Percoid; 
  parietals 
  separated 
  

   by 
  supraoccipital 
  ; 
  a 
  basisphenoid 
  ; 
  alisphenoids 
  not 
  in 
  con- 
  

   tact. 
  Skull 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  compressed, 
  rather 
  elevated 
  poste- 
  

   riorly 
  ; 
  upper 
  surface 
  flattish 
  or 
  somewhat 
  convex 
  ; 
  occipital 
  

   crest 
  not 
  extending 
  forward 
  on 
  frontals 
  ; 
  parietal 
  crests 
  

   vestigial 
  or 
  absent 
  ; 
  exoccipital 
  condyles 
  contiguous. 
  Post- 
  

   temporal 
  forked 
  ; 
  upper 
  post-cleithrum 
  laminar, 
  lower 
  

   slender 
  ; 
  lower 
  part 
  of 
  cleithrum 
  much 
  expanded 
  antero- 
  

   posteriorly, 
  meeting 
  its 
  fellow 
  in 
  a 
  long 
  carinate 
  symphysis; 
  

   cleithra 
  also 
  with 
  broad 
  transverse 
  laminar 
  expansions 
  ; 
  

   hypercoracoid 
  perforate, 
  hypocoracoid 
  with 
  an 
  inferior 
  process 
  

  

  17* 
  

  

  