296 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [8] 
7.—DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBFAMILY HISTIOPHORINA AND THE 
GENERA TETRAPTURUS AND HISTIOPHORUS. 
Subfamily HisTIoPHORIN.A, Liitken. 
Tetrapturina, Gill in Rep. U. S. F. C. i, 1873, p. 787 (name only; no Tee 
Histiophorine, Liitken, Vid. Med. Nat. Forew., 1875, p. 18. 
Diagnosis of subfamily. 
Xiphiid fishes, with bodies much compressed, covered with elongate, 
scale-like scutes. Sword rounded at edges, spear-like. 'Tooth-like gran- 
ulations upon the jaws. Pectorals lateral. Pelvic arch present. Ven- 
trals present, slender, elongate. Dorsal fin single (Histiophorus) or 
in two portions, but little remote, separated by aborted section (Te- 
trapturus). Preopercular spine absent (but probably present in young). 
Two keels upon each side of caudal peduncle. Ultimate dorsal and 
anal rays suctorial. Air-bladder very large, sacculated, consisting of 
numerous separate divisions. Intestine short, straight. 
Synopsis of genera. 
Dorsal fin double, Xiphias-like, ventral rays anchylosed...--.. Tetrapturus, Rafinesque. 
Dorsal fin single, high, sail-like, ventral rays separate........ Histiophorus, Lacépéde. 
Genus Tetrapturus, Rafinesque. 
Tetrapturus, RAFINESQUE, Caratteri, etc. 1810, p. 54, pl. 1, fig. 7. 
“ Tetrapterurus, BONAPARTE.” 
Tetrapterus, AGASSIZ, Poiss. Foiss. v, 1843, p. 7. 
Diagnosis of genus. 
Xiphiid, tetrapturine fishes, with body much compressed. Two dor- 
sal and two anal fins in adult state; single dorsal and anal in immature 
ages. ‘Tooth-like asperities on palatines and lower jaw. Body covered 
with cultriform scale-like scutes, under epidermis. Dorsal rays much 
more numerous than in Xiphias, less so than in Histiophorus. Ventrals 
rudimentary, consisting of one pair of very elongate, flattened rays. 
Vertebree 24 (7. belone). Pyloric exca very numerous. Intestine short, 
nearly straight, making only about two foldings. 
HApitat.—Mediterranean; tropical and subtropical seas. 
Genus Histiophorus, Lacépéde. 
< Istiophorus, LACKEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss. iii, 1803, p. 374. 
< Histiophorus, CUVIER & VALENCIENNES, Hist. Nat. Poiss. viii, 1831, 291. 
< Histiophorus, GUNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. ii, 1860, p. 512. 
“Notislium, HERMANN, Observ. Zool. 1804, p. 305.” 
Diagnosis of genus. 
Xiphiid, tetrapturine fishes, with body slender and very much com- 
pressed. Dorsal single (though the last few rays are nearly abortive), 
retaining the character of extreme youth, which is lost in Xt%phias and 
Tetrapturus, and very lofty. Vertebree 24 (H. indicus). Anal fin double. 
Numerous tooth-like asperities on the jaws. Body covered with elon- 
