Classification of the Order Scleroparei. 173 



tt Gill-membranes broadly attached to isthmus ; pelvic 

 fins very small ; no ribs Car acant hides. 



*■* A single pnir of denti^orous upper pharyngeals ; anal 

 spines flexible; ribsaosent; budy scaleless. 



Gill-membranes free ; dorsal fin commencing on head ; 



polvics I '2, the inner ray not adnate Aplnactidee. 



Gill-membranes attached to "isthmus ; dorsal fin com- 

 mencing behind head ; pelvics I 4-o, the inner- 

 most ray adnate by membrane to skin oi abdomen. Synanciida. 



^. Epiotics united by suture behind supraoccipital ; suborbitals 

 very thin or even membranous ; one pair of dentigeroua 

 upper pharyngeals ; gill-membranes free. 



Patcecid(e. 



b. Vertebrae 42 to 04 ; all or most of the ribs and epipleurals 



inserted together on strong parapophyses. {IIe.ia(/rammi- 

 formes.) 

 Gill-membranes free ; a single nostril on each side ; 



a basisphenoid He.vagrammida. 



Gill-membranes attached to isthmus ; two nostrils on 



each side ; no basisphenoid Anojihpomatidee. 



c. Vertebrae about 27; ribs attached to sessile epipleurals. 



{Platycephaliformes.) IHatycephalidce. 



2. Palatine and pterygoid forming a long slender rod ; no meso- 

 pterygoid ; metapterygoid reduced. {Hoplichthyifonnes.) 



Hoplichthyidee, 



B. Post-temporal simple, forming an integral part of the skull. 

 (Congiopodifo7-mes.) Conytopodtd<e. 



II. Opisthotic small ; mesopterygoid reduced ; no basisphenoid. 

 {Cvttifo}-mes.) 



A. Pelvic fins, when present, normally formed. 



1. Sides of body naked, scaly, or with bony plates ; abdomen 



always naked. 



a. Second suborbital extending to prseoperculum. 



a. Lowest radial on hypocoracoid ; skull moderately de- 

 pressed. 

 Para.sphenoid wings extending to alisphenoids ; a 



separate spinous dorsal Cottid<B. 



Paraspnenoid ^ving3 not reaching alisphenoids; a 



single dorsal fin Cottunculida. 



/3. Lowest radial on cleithrum ; skuU strongly depressed. 



Psychrolutidce. 



h. Second suborbital not or scarcely produced across cheek. 



Comephorid<e, 



2. Body enclosed in bony plates Agonidce. 



B. Pelvic fins forming a suctorial disc Cychpteridce. 



