234 FISHES. 



it; palatine teeth well developed; gill-rakers long and 

 strong, provided with coarse teeth ; form stout and heavy. 



b. Operculuni emarginate behind ; anal spines 5 to 7. 

 c. Caudal fin emarginate; scales ctenoid. 

 d. Tongue with a single median patch of teeth ; anal 

 spines normally 6; dorsal 10 or 11. AMBLOPLITES, 2. 

 CG. Caudal fin rounded behind ; scales cycloid ; anal spines 



normally 5 ACANTHARCHUS, 3. 



bb. Operculuni ending behind in a convex " flap," black in 

 color , anal spines 3 ; dorsal 10 ; caudal emarginate. 



CH^ENOBRYTTUS, 4. 

 aa. Tongue and pterygoid bones toothless ; mouth moderate or 



small. 



d. Operculum ending behind in an entire convex process or 

 flap, which is always more or less black; dorsal tin 

 not notched; dorsal spines normally 10; anal spines 

 3, the soft rays in each fin about 10 in number; caudal 

 fin emarginate. 



e. Maxillary with a supplemental bone ; gill-rakers long, 

 stout, dentate; mouth rather large, the lower jaw 

 protruding ; palatine teeth present ; spines low ; flap 



small APOMOTIS, 5. 



ee. Maxillary without supplemental bone ; mouth rather 



small, with subequal jaws. 



/. Lower pharyngeal bones comparatively narrow, with 

 the teeth all conic and sharp, the outer short and 

 small, the inner long and pointed. 

 g. Gill-rakers of anterior branchial arch more or less 

 elongate, ossified, beset with small teeth. 



LEPOMIS, 6. 



gg. Gill-rakers undifferentiated, all short, thickish, 



weak, unossified, provided with but few weak 



teeth; no palatine teeth; opercular flap always 



large, often greatly developed; coloration bril. 



liant; spines low. . . . XENOTIS, 7. 



\ Lower pharyngeal bones with the teeth or most of 



them rounded or truncate above, i.e., teeth paved ; 



