BONY FISHES AND GANOIDS. 467 



being best recognised by the thickened an.d undivided lower rays of the 

 pectoral fins, which in soine cases appear to be modified into 

 organs of touch, and in others assist in locomotion. These Family 



fishes have deep, compressed bodies, cycloidal scales, and Cirrhitidcu. 

 very generally six branchoistegal rays. The dorsal is single, 

 and divided into a spinous and rayed half ; and the pel vies, which are 

 separated by an interval from the pectorals, are thoracic, and provided with a 

 single spine and five rays, the anal being three-spined. The typical group 

 includes several genera of small and frequently spotted fishes from the Indo- 

 Pacific and Australasian seas, such as Cirrhitichthys, Cirrhites, and Chor- 

 inemus, in all of which there are teeth on the vomerine bones of the palate. 

 In the second group, on the other hand, there are no teeth on the vomers; and 

 among the genera are Latris, represented by two New Zealand and Tasmanian 

 species, one of which (the trumpeter-fish) is of large size, and affords excellent 

 food, and the more widely-spread Chilodactylus. The latter, which may be 

 easily recognised by the great elongation of one of the rays of the pectoral fins, 

 is likewise valuable as a food-supply, both in South Africa and at the Antipodes. 



Although the Scorpcenidce are included in Dr. Giinther's classification 

 among the Perciformes, they differ from the foregoing families by the 

 presence of a bony stay connecting the preoperculum with 

 the ring of bones beneath the orbit. If the absence of such Section Scorpseni- 

 stay be taken as it is here as a distinctive feature of the formes. Family 

 Perciformes, the present family must typify a section by Scorpcenidce. 

 itself. There are many genera included in the family, which 

 ranges over nearly all oceans and seas. All the species are carnivorous, but 

 whereas some approximate in external form and their mode of life to the 

 Serranidce, others are deep-sea types, with the skin expanded into appendages 

 resembling sea- weeds. In some genera, such as Scorpcena and Sebastes, well- 

 developed scales are present ; this being also the case with the species of 

 Pterois from the warmer parts of the Indo-Pacific, all of which are charac- 

 terised by the height of the pectoral and dorsal fins. On the other hand, 

 there are other types, such as Choridactylus and Pelor of the* Indian seas, and 

 the so-called Micropus of the Pacific, in which the scales are rudimental or 

 wanting ; Choridactylus being one of those with leaf-like expansions to the 

 skin, while Micropus is notable on account of containing the smallest of all 

 the Acanthopterygians, certain kinds being considerably less than a couple of 

 inches in length. 



Passing over without mention a few small and unimportant families, we 

 come to the group known technically as Benjchidce, and popularly as slime- 

 heads, which constitute not only a family, but likewise a 

 sectional group by themselves. The essential feature of Section Berychi- 

 these fishes is the presence in the head of slime-bearing, or formes. Family 

 muciferous cavities, which are protected by a skin of great Berychidce. 

 thickness. The body is compressed, and oblong or deep in 

 shape ; and the pelvic fins are thoracic, and almost always supported by five 

 rays and a single spine. Generally the body is covered with ctenoid scales, 

 although rarely there may be a naked skin; but there are never scales on the 

 head. Nearly all these fish have large goggle eyes ; and the obliquely cleft 

 mouth is armed with minute teeth, while the palate is nearly always toothed, 

 and the opercular bones are likewise armed. Except rarely, the number of 

 rays in the branch iostegal membrane is eight. All the Berychidce, are marine, 

 and nearly all live at considerable depths, although there are a couple of 



