ETHEOSTOMID^E. LXXXIX. 217 



cc. Throat and breast orange; coloration chiefly in verti 

 cal bars rarely in lines or spots; no shoulder blotch. 



PCECILICHTHYS, 4. 



aa. Dorsal fins entirely separate ; dorsal spines 8 to 10 ; lateral 

 line curved upward over pectorals; small, slender spe 

 cies, often with red spots along the sides. 



BOLEICHTHYS 5. 



** Lateral line present, obvious throughout its course ; body 

 normally more or less cylindrical ; upper jaw more or less 

 projecting beyond the lower. 



| Scales obvious only ajoug lateral line, ventral region entirely 



naked; body much elongated, translucent; dorsal spines 



10. (PLEUROLEPIN^E.) . . . PLEUROLEPIS, 6. 



$ Body scaly throughout, or naked only on throat or neck. 



(ETHEOSTOMIN^:.) 

 d. Mouth scarcely inferior; lower jaw but little shorter than 



upper ; vomer with teeth. 



e. Anal spine single, sometimes obscure; -mouth small, 



horizontal; soft dorsal usually larger than anal or 



than spinous dorsal; the latter of 9 (rarely 10) spines; 



back tessellated. . _ . . . BOLEOSOMA, 7. 



ee Anal with two distinct spines. 



/. Mouth large; soft dorsal not much larger than anal or 

 than spinous dorsal, the latter with 10 to 15 spines; 

 sides usually with dark bars or a chain of confluent 

 dark blotches ; no red nor blue markings, nor nar 

 row lines of dots. 



g. Belly with a series of enlarged mucronate plates 

 along the middle line (sometimes falling off, leav 

 ing a naked strip.) . . ETHEOSTOMA, 8. 

 gg. Belly without enlarged plates at any time. 



HYPOHOMUS, 9. 



ff. Mouth moderate ; dorsal spines about 12; body with 

 out large bars or blotches, but each scale with a 

 dark spot, these forming fine lengthwise lines; 

 throat with blue; fins in $ with red and blue. 



NOTHONOTUS, 3. 



dd. Mouth decidedly inferior, very small. 

 10 



