ACANTHOPTERYGII. 239 



like fishes and band-shaped pelagic fishes with many vertebrae, Apha- 

 nopus Lowe, Euoxymetopon Poey, Lepidopus Gouan, Benthodesmus 

 G. and B. 



Fam. 97. Trichiuridae, Surface-fishes of the tropics. Trichiurua L. 

 hairtails. 



Fam. 98. Xiphiidae, Sword-fishes. The upper jaw is produced into 

 a long sword-like weapon ; pelagic fishes in all tropical and subtropical 

 seas, very strong and swift, change much with growth, some can 

 erect the dorsal fin above the water and use it as a sail ; attain to 12 

 or 15 ft.; attack Cetaceans and vessels and can pierce thick planks ; 

 sword formed by prolongation of premaxillaries and maxillaries, with 

 small villiform teeth on its lower surface, may be 3 ft. long and 3 in. 

 across at base, flesh esteemed. Histiophoms C. et V. (Istiophorus 

 Lac.), Ind. and Pac. with pelvics ; Tetrapturus Raf., Xiphias L. 

 sword-fish. 



Fam. 99. Carangidae. Body more or less compressed oblong or 

 elevated, with small scales or naked ; teeth if present conical ; dorsal 

 spines few or slender or reduced ; a more or less developed spine adnate 

 to the soft portion of the anal, often preceded by a pair of spines separate 

 from the rest of the fin ; pelvics thoracic, sometimes small or absent ; 

 10 abdominal and 14 caudal vertebrae. Inhabitants of tropical 

 and temperate seas. First appear in cretaceous (Platax, Vomer, Aipich- 

 thys) ; extinct genera, Pseudovomcr, Amphistium, Archaeus, Dtictor, 

 Plionemus, Semiophorus. Living genera are : Caranx Cuv., horse mack- 

 erels, C. trachurus Lac. the British horse mackerel ; Argyriosus (Selene), 

 Micropteryx (Chloroscombrus) ; Seriola Cuv., yellow tails ; Serfolella, 

 Seriolickthys ; Naucrates Cuv., N. ductor C. and V., pilot-fish, to 12 in., 

 precedes and accompanies sharks and vessels ; Chorinemus, Lichia, Tem- 

 nodon C. and V. (Pomatomus Lac.), T. saltator L., skip-jack, trop. 

 and sub-trop. seas ; Trachynotus, Pammelas Gthr. (Palinurichthys 

 Bleek), Psettus ; Platax C. and V., sea-bats, Ind. Oc. and W. 

 Pac. ; Anomalops, deep sea ; Diretmus, Equula, Gazza, Lactarius, 

 Paropsis, Platystethus, Citula, Alectis, Hynnis, Vomer. Zanclua C. and 

 V., rocky islands of Pacific. 



Fam. 100. Coryphaenidae. Large pelagic fishes of brilliant colours 

 with Coryphaena, " dolphins," Brama, Taractes, Pteraclis, Diana Pvisso 

 (Luvarus Raf.), Ausonia, Mene. 



Tribe 3. ZEORHOMBI. 



Aberrant, strongly compressed Perciformes with very short pre-caudal 

 region, culminating in asymmetrical forms and characterised by the com- 

 bination of an increased number (6 to 8) of rays of pelvic fins with 

 absence of hypural spine (by which the Berycidae are excluded), or by 

 asymmetry of the skull in the forms in which the spine of the pelvic fin 

 has been lost. 



Fam. 101. Zeidae. No subocular shelf, premaxillae strongly pro- 

 tractile. Gill-membranes free from the isthmus, 7 to 8 branchi- 

 ostegal rays ; gills 3J, pseudobranch well developed. Lower pharyngeal 

 bones separate. Hypural bone large, without the basal knob or spine 

 present in most Perciformes and in all Scombriformes. Dorsals and 

 anals elongate, the former with a distinct spinous portion, the latter with 

 1 to 4 spines detached from the soft portion. Pelvics with 1 spine 



