28 THE AMERICAN CHARACIDAE. 



Sarcodaces, Oligosargus, and Ichthyborus. Giinther recognized in all forty- 

 seven genera and two hundred and five species. Of these forty genera and one 

 hundred and eighty-one species are American. 



Giinther groups the genera in a number of subfamilies whose characters 

 are largely the presence or absence of an adipose fin, perfection or imperfection 

 of dentition, the length of the dorsal fin, and the character of the gill-openings. 



The following synopsis will indicate his subfamilies and the characters on 

 which they are based : — 



a. Adipose fin absent Erythrinina, 1 American. 



aa. Adipose fin present 

 6. Dentition imperfect 



c. Dorsal fin short Curimatina, American. 



cc. Dorsal fin rather long Cilharinina, African. 



66. Dentition well developed 

 d. Dorsal fin short 

 e. Gill-openings narrow, the gill-membrane grown to the isthmus 

 /. Elements of the jaws separate 



g. Nasal openings remote from each other Anostomatina, American. 



(gg. Nasal openings close together Nannocharacina, African). 



ee. Gill-openings wide, the gill-membrane not grown to the isthmus. 

 h. Teeth compressed, notched, or denticulated. 



Telragonoplerina, American and African. 



hh. Teeth all conical Uydrocyonina, American and African. 



(jj. Both jaws very movable, their lateral halves being united into one piece. 



Phagonina, African). 

 dd. Dorsal fin rather long 



i. Gill-openings of moderate width, the gill-membrane being attached to the isthmus. 



Distichodonlina, African. 

 ii. Gill-openings wide, the gill-membrane not being attached to the isthmus. 



j. Belly rounded; jaws with conical teeth Ichthyborina, African. 



jj. Belly rounded; canine teeth none. . . .Crenuchina, American and African. 



jjj. Belly with a spinous serrature Serrasalmonia, American. 



Giinther immediately (1865) added the Phagonina and shortly afterwards 

 (1867) the Nannocharacina from Africa, assigning the latter to a place 

 between the Anostomatina and the Tetragonopterina. Both are included 

 in parentheses in the foregoing synopsis. 



Giinther's work stimulated exploration and description to a great extent, 

 and following the publication of his Catalogue we have contributions by Giinther 

 himself between 1864 and 1900; by Gill 1864-1903; Reinhard 1866; Cope 

 between 1870 and 1894; Lutken 1874-1890; Steindachner 1875 to the present; 

 Boulenger from 1887 to the present; Eigenmann and Eigenmann from 1889 

 to the present; Garman 1890-1895; Perugia 1891-1897; von Ihering 1893 to 



1 Including the Stevardiinae of Gill. 



