FISHES. 207 



#. Ventrals present. 

 r. Dorsal with both spines and soft rays. 



Blenniidce, the Blennies. 

 rr. Dorsal composed of spines only. 

 s. Lateral line usually present and sometimes dupli 

 cated; head conic; compressed; pyloric cceca 

 present. . StichmidcB, the Snake Blennies. 

 ss. No lateral line ; ventrals I, 1 ; no pyloric cceca ; 

 teeth, small, acute. Xiphidiontida, the Gunnels. 

 qq. No ventral fins. 



t. Gill openings wide ; scales rudimentary ; cleft of 

 mouth not vertical ; teeth strong. 



Anarrhichadidm, the Wolf Fishes. 

 ft. Gill openings moderate ; no scales ; cleft of mouth 

 nearly vertical ; dorsal of spines only ; body almost 

 eel-like. . Cryptacanthida, the Ghost FisJies. 

 6. With none of the preceding combinations. 

 u. Ventrals jugular, 4-rayed ; dorsal very high and long. 

 Bramidce, the Winged Dolphins, 

 uu. Ventrals thoracic,. I, 5. 



v. Dorsal of 50 or more rays running from head to tail ; 

 the spinous part &quot;not differentiated. 



Coryphcenidw, the Dolphins. 

 WD. Dorsal shorter, the two sorts of rays different. 

 w. Lateral line interrupted. 



x. Scales ctenoid ; dorsal spines 13 ; depth more 

 than half length. 



Poinacentridce, the Demoiselles. 



xx. Scales cycloid ; dorsal spines 9 ; depth less than 

 half length. . Laforidce, the Wrasse Fishes. 



ww. Lateral line continuous. 

 y. Opercle or preopercle or both distinctly serrated. 



z. Spinous dorsal longer than the soft part, of 18 

 spines which are tipped with little mem 

 branous appendages ; scales cycloid. 



Labridce, the Wrasse Fishes. 



