260 CLASSIFICATION OF VERTEBRATES. 



Hemitripterus, Platycephalus, etc., are marine. Lepidocottus, oligocene. 

 The closely allied AGONID^E are armored. DISCOBOLI, the skin naked ; 

 bases of the ventral fins forming a sucker on the lower surface. Cyclop- 

 terus, lump-fish ; Liparis ; TRIGLID^E, covered with scales or bony plates ; 

 anal without spines ; two or three rays of the pectoral separate from the 

 rest. Trigla (appears in the miocene), the gurnards, European ; Prio- 

 notus, sea-robins, on our coasts. The finger-like free rays of the pectoral 

 are sensory. The DACTYLOPTERID^E share with the Exoccetidae (supra} 

 the common name, flying-fishes ; they have armored bodies, lack a lateral 

 line, have pectorals enormously developed, and no palatine teeth. Dactyl- 

 opterus. Allied is Pegasus, with smaller pectorals and elongate snout, 

 from the East Indies. 



SUB-ORDER 5. XENOPTERYGII. 



No scales, no spinous dorsal, gill arches reduced, a ventral sucker 

 between the pectorals but not formed by them. The only family GOBIE- 

 SOCID^E is somewhat closely related to the Batrachidae and Cottidae. 

 Gobiesox, American. 



SUB-ORDER 6. HOLCONOTI. 



Anal fin very long, scales cycloid, lower pharyngeals united, >oung 

 brought forth alive. The surf perches (EMBIOTOCID/E) of the Pacific coast 

 form the only members of this group, which finds its nearest relatives in the 

 percoid fishes and in the pharyngognaths (infra}. Cymatogaster, Embio- 

 toca, Holconotus, U.S.; Ditrema, Japan. 



SUB-ORDER 7. PHARYNGOGNATHI. 



Nostrils double, lower pharyngeals united, scales cycloid ; oviparous. 

 A single family, LABRID.E, of percoid affinities, most of the species being 

 tropical or sub-tropical shore feeders. Labrus, European wrasses ; Cteno- 

 labrus, cunners ; Tautoga ; Scarus, parrot-fish. Allied are the tropical 



FlG. 260. Gunner, Ctenolabrns cicrnlcus, after Goode. 



