SQUAMIPINNES. 397 



jaws, on the vomer and palatine bones. A. sayanus from the 

 southern streams and fresh waters of the Atlantic States. 



To complete the list of Percoid genera, we have to mention 

 the following : — Sinijpcrca, Etclis, Ni'plion, Aprion, Apsilus, 

 Fentaceros, Velifer, Datnioides, Percilia, Laiiiopcrca. 



Second Family — Squamipinnes. 



Body compressed and elevated, covered loiili scales, cither 

 finely ctenoid or smooth. Lateral line continuous, not continued 

 over the caudal fin. Mouth in front of the snotct, generally 

 small, with lateral cleft. Eye lateral, of moderate size. Sic or 

 seven hranchiostegals. Teeth villiform or setiform, in hands, 

 without canines or incisors. Dorsal fin consisting of a spinous 

 and soft portion of nearly equal development ; anal ivith three 

 or four spines, similarly der eloped as the soft dorsal, both being 

 many-rayed. The vertical fins more or less densely covered with 

 small scales. The lower rays of the pectoral fin branched, not 

 enlarged ; ventrals thoracic, with one spine and five soft rays. 

 Stomach coecal. 



The typical forms of this family are readily recognised by 

 the form of their body, and by a peculiarity from which they 

 derive their name Squamipinnes; the soft, and frequently 

 also the spinous part of their dorsal and anal fins are so 

 thickly covered wdth scales that the boundary between fins 

 and body is entirely obliterated. The majority are inhabit- 

 ants of the tropical seas, and abound chiefly in the neigh- 

 bourhood of coral-reefs. The beauty and singularity of distri- 

 bution of the colours of some of the genera, as Chaiodon, 

 Heniochus, Holacanthus, is scarcely surpassed by any other 

 group of fishes. They remain within small dimensions, and 

 comparatively few are used as food. They are carnivorous, 

 feeding on small invertebrates. Only a few species enter 

 brackish water. 



