of the Island of Trinidad, W. I. 423 



In the posterior position of the dorsal, which is placed over the 

 anal, it resembles the genus Gasteropelecus of Bloch, and Serpes 

 of Lacepede. It bears a further resemblance to that fish, as well 

 as to Anastomus of Cuvier, and Piabucina of Valenciennes, in 

 the oblique fissure of the mouth. In the armature of the mouth, 

 it resembles Tetragonopterus of Artedi, and the allied genera, 

 having like them two rows of compressed teeth, whose cutting 

 margins are each armed with several triangular points, of 

 which the middle is largest. A character which may serve to 

 distinguish it, in addition to the want of an adipose fin, is in 

 the operculum, which, in all known species, is more or less ex- 

 tended, sometimes armed with a posterior spine, but generally 

 terminating in a claviform process, or in a slender filament. 

 The dorsal is also much higher than long, and exceeds in 

 height, but is much shorter than, the anal ; the last posterior 

 rays of the latter fin are generally longer than those which 

 precede them, and in one genus, that fin regularly increases 

 towards the posterior margin. The sub-orbitals are nearly 

 similar to those of the Tetragonopteri. 



Genus. 

 Stevakdia, Gill. 



Body subfnsiform, compressed, covered by moderate scales ; 

 abdomen rounded. 



Head with the lateral aspect subconical, compressed. 



Mouth oblique, moderate, narrow, with the gape elongated 

 elliptical. The teeth of the dentary, when the mouth is closed, 

 are received behind those of the exterior row of the intermaxil- 

 laries, but on account of the obliquity of the mouth, the lower 

 jaw projects considerably beyond the upper. 



Teeth in two rows on the intermaxillaries, and in a single 

 one on the dentaries ; these are wide, compressed, widening to- 

 wards the crowns, which are multicuspid, with the median cusp 

 longest. 



