86 Dr. A. Giinther on three new Trachinoid Fishes. 



distinguishes them from the Cottina. Other negative characters, 

 as for instance the absence of finlets behind the dorsal and anal, 

 the entire absence or the small number of pyloric appendages, 

 separate them from some of the Scomberoid genera, which other- 

 wise would appear to have a great affinity to them. 



I formerly divided this family into four groups : Uranoscopiiia, 

 Trachinina, Pinguipedina, and Pseudochromides*. 



The fourth of these groups {Pseudochromides) is not identical 

 with that so called by Miiller, all those genera having been ex- 

 cluded which have the ventral fins not fully developed. But 

 even then the characters of the group appear to me to be too 

 wide to form a natural union of fishes, since I have found that 

 Cheenichthys, Richards., has the lateral line interrupted, like 

 Pseudochromis, Notothenia, &c., and therefore should be placed 

 in the same group with them. If, on the other hand, we sepa- 

 rate again those Pseudochromides which have only one dorsal fin 

 [Opisthognathus, Pseudochromis, Cichlops, Pseudoplesiops) from 

 those which have two (Notothenia, Harpagifer, Chanichthys), 

 two groups will be established, well defined even by their geo- 

 graphical distribution. 



We divide, therefore, the family of the Trachinida into the 

 following groups : — 



Eyes on the upper surface of the head ; lateral line 



continuous a. Uranoscopina. 



Eyes more or less lateral ; lateral line continuous ; no 

 larger tooth on the posterior portion of the inter- 

 maxillary b. Trachinina. 



Eyes lateral ; a larger tooth on the posterior portion 



of the intermaxillary c. Pinguipedina. 



Lateral line interrupted, or not continued to the 



caudal fin; one dorsal. (Seas between the Tropics.) d. Pseudochromides. 



Lateral line interrupted; two dorsal fins. (Ant- 

 arctic Seas.) e. Nototheniina. 



I add to the known species of this family, first, a new genus 

 of Uranoscopina, from New Zealand. 



Crapatalus. 



Form of the head as in Leptoscopus, entirely covered with soft 

 skin ; cleft of the mouth approaching the vertical line ; eye on 

 the upper side of the head ; lips fringed. Scales cycloid, of 

 moderate size. One continuous dorsal; ventrals jugular; pec- 

 toral rays branched. Minute villiform teeth in the jaws and on 

 the pharyngeal bones, none on the palate ; no interior or exte- 

 rior filament; opercles without external spines; gill-opening 



* The genus Heterostichus, which has been placed by its describer in 

 a family of Trachinidce widely different from that so called by myself, 

 proves to be a truly Blennioid fish, closely allied to Myxodes and Clinus. 



