434 TELEi STEI. 



Eighth group. COTTO-SCOMBRIFORMES. 



Dorsal fins placed close together or continuous, having fewer spines 

 than rays, or the spinous portion may be modified into tentacles, detached 

 spines, or a suctorial disk ; anal similar to the soft dorsal, sometimes both 

 fins are modified posteriorly into finlets ; ventrals, when present, jugular 

 or thoracic, never forming a sucker. No prominent anal papilla. 



XVI. A single dorsal fin, with fewer spines than 

 rays. One or more bony spines on either 



side of the tail in the adult Acanthuridas . 



XVII. Body more or less compressed. Teeth, when 

 present, villiform or conical. Spinous portion 

 of the dorsal sometimes rudimentary; the 

 posterior ravs of the dorsal and anal may con- 

 sist of detached finlets ; ventrals, when present, 



thoracic. Vertebrae 10/14 (Naucrates 10/16). Carangidae. 



XVIII. Body oblong and compressed. Dentition 

 feeble. Barbed teeth extend into the oeso- 

 phagus. One long dorsal fin without any 

 distinct spinous portion. Vertebrae exceed 



10/14 Stromateidas. 



XIX. Body compressed. No teeth in the ceso- 



Shagus. One long dorsal fin without any 

 istinct spinous portion. Vertebrae exceed 

 10/14 Coryphaenidae. 



XX. Body oblong or slightly elongate, scarcely 

 compressed. Two dorsal fins, the first being 

 sometimes modified into free spines, or an 

 adhesive disk, whilst the posterior dorsal and 

 anal rays may be in the form of tinlets. 



Scales, if present, small Scombridae. 



XXI. One or two dorsal fins, the spinous portion 

 less developed than the soft, which is similar 

 to the anal. Eyes on the upper surface of 



head Uranoscopidae. 



XXII. Body low and more or less elongate. 

 One or two dorsal fins. Vertebrae exceed 



10/14 Trachinidae. 



XXIII. Preopercle articulated with the orbit. 

 Dorsal fin single. Lateral line incomplete or 



interrupted Pseudochromides. 



XXIV. Body low and more or less elongate. 

 First dorsal fin consisting of a few free spines ; 



ventrals jugular, 1/2 Batrachidae. 



XXV. The spinous dorsal, when present, composed 

 of a few isolated spines which may be modi- 

 fied into tentacles ; carpal bones forming a 

 sort of arm for the pectoral fin ; ventrals, 

 when present, jugular, having four or five 



rays Pediculati. 



XXVI." Preopercle articulated with the orbit by a 

 bony process from the supraorbital ring. 

 Body more or less elongate. Pectoral fins 

 with or without filamentous appendages ; 

 ventrals thoracic. Body scaleless, scaled, or 

 with a single row of plate-like scales Cottidae. 



