5$ ORDERS, SUB-ORDERS, AND FAMILIES. 



CENTRISCID^;. Body compressed, long, oblong, or elevated. Two dorsals 

 the first short with one strong spine, the second soft and moderate in 

 size like the anal ; ventrals abdominal and rudimentary. No lateral 

 line. Scales absent or small and rough, body covered with bony 

 patches. Mouth small and at end of a long tube or trumpet. No 

 teeth. Gills four ; pseudobranchiae present ; branchiostegals three 

 or four. Centriscus, 98. 



CEPOLID^E. Body long and compressed. Dorsal long, more or less con- 

 tinuous with caudal and anal, caudal rounded ; ventrals thoracic and 

 consisting of one spine and five rays. Eye large and lateral. Teeth 

 of moderate size, angle of praeoperculum without bony stay. Gill 

 opening wide ; pseudobranchiae present ; branchiostegals six. 

 Cepola, 74. 



. Body compressed. One long dorsal, without spinous 

 division, extending almost to caudal ; anal without spines ; ventrals 

 generally thoracic and receivable in groove. Eye lateral. Mouth 

 cleft wide. Teeth small and conical or absent. Praeoperculum with- 

 out bony stay. Gill opening wide. Brama, 32 ; Lampns, 33 ; Luvarus, 

 35 ; Schedophilus, 34. 



COTTIDJE. Body oblong or sub-cylindrical. Two dorsals, the spinous less 

 developed than the soft one, or than the anal ; ventrals thoracic with 

 five or fewer soft rays, sometimes rudimentary. Eye lateral or 

 directed upwards and outwards. Mouth lateral. Teeth villitcrm, no 

 canines. Some of the head bones armed. Infraorbitals articulate 

 with praeoperculum. Cottus, 48 to 51 ; Trigla, 52 to 57. 



CYCLOPTERID^. Body thick or oblong. Dorsal spinous, or partly spinous 

 soft part of dorsal equal to anal ; ventrals thoracic or jugular, com 

 posed of one spine and four or five soft rays, which are rudimentary 

 and support a round disk, which is encircled by a cutaneous fringe. 

 Skin bare or tubercular. Teeth small. Gill opening narrow. Anal 

 papilla prominent. Cyclop let us, 60 ; Liparis, 61, 62. 



CYTTID^E. Body elevated, compressed. Dorsal in two portions. Ventrals 

 thoracic. Skin with small scales, or shields, or bare. Eye lateral. 

 Teeth conical and small. No stay to praeoperculum. Gill opening 

 large. Anal papilla not prominent. Zeus, 29. 



DACTYLOPTERID^E. Body elongate, sub-cylindrical and more or less 

 angular. One or two dorsals ; ventrals thoracic, with five or fewer 

 rays. Scales replaced by plates. Praeoperculum articulated with in- 

 fraorbitals. Agonus, 58 ; Peristethus, 59. 



GASTEROSTEID^E. Body elongate, compressed. First dorsal absent or 

 represented by isolated spines; second dorsal soft ; ventrals abdominal, 

 consisting of a spine and a small ray. Scales absent but replaced by 

 scutes along the side. Mouth cleft, small and oblique; teeth villiform ; 

 opercular bones unarmed, infraorbitals covering cheek. Branchi- 

 ostegals three. G aster osteits, 91 to 97. 



GOBJESOCID^. Body irregular and ungraceful. Dorsal soft and short and 

 near tail ; anal similar to dorsal ; ventrals jugular with sucker be- 

 tween them. No scales. Lepadogaster, 99 to 101. 



