274 FISHES 



velopment. Of Acanthopteiygians Ccntropristis, Serranus, 

 Pledropoma, Mesoprion, Priacanthus, Apogo7i, Pristipoma, 

 H(emulon, Diagramma, Gcrres, Scolopsis, Synagris, Ccesio, 

 Mullidce, Lctkrinus, Squamipinnes, Cirrhites, some genera 

 of Scorpccnidm, Platgcephalus, Scimnidce, Sphyrccna, Caranx 

 Equv2a, Callionymus, Teuthis, Acanthurus, Naseus, are re- 

 presented by numerous species ; and the majority of these 

 genera and families are limited to this zone. Of Pharyn- 

 gognaths the Pomaecnlrida', Jididina, and Scarina, are met 

 with near every coral formation in a living condition. 

 Of Gadoids, a singular minute form, Bregmaceros, is almost 

 the only representative, the other forms belonging to deep 

 water, and rarely ascending to the surface. Flat-fishes (Pleuro- 

 nectidce) are common on sandy coasts, and tlie majority of 

 the genera are peculiar to the Tropics. Of Physostomi only 

 the Smcrina, CliLpeida\ and Miircvnida' are represented, the 

 Clupeidce being exceedingly numerous in individuals, whilst 

 the Mwrcenida' Ywq more isolated, but sho^v a still greater 

 variety of species. Lophobranchii and Sclerodermi are gene- 

 rally distributed. Branchiostoma has been found on several 

 coasts. 



Geographically it is convenient to describe the Coast fauna 

 of the tropical Atlantic separately from that of the Indo- 

 Pacific ocean. The differences between them, however, are 

 far less numerous and important than between the freshwater 

 or terrestrial faunre of continental regions. The majority of 

 the principal types are found in both, many of the species being 

 even identical ; but the species are far more abundant in the 

 Indo-Pacific than in the Atlantic, owing to the greater extent 

 of the archipelagoes in the former. But for the broken and 

 varied character of the coasts of the West Indies, the shores 

 of the tropical Atlantic would, by their general uniformity, 

 afford but a limited variety of conditions to the development 

 of specific and generic forms, whilst the deep inlets of the 



