Artificial Key to the Families of American Food and Game Fishes 



FF. Body uniformly covered with cycloid scales; dorsal spines mostly very 



high and filamentous XXXVII, NEMATISTIID^B, 294 



BB. Ventral fins with or without spine, the number of soft rays fewer than 5. 

 G. Upper jaw not prolonged into a sword. 

 H. Dorsal fin with some spines or simple rays. ... XXXIII, LEPIDOPID.*, 289 



HH. Dorsal fins of soft rays only LXXIV, GADID^B, 508 



GG. Upper jaw prolonged into a bony sword; dorsal fin long and high; size 

 large XXXV, ISTIOPHORID.&, 391 



IV VENTRAL FINS WHOLLY WANTING 



A. Premaxillary and maxillary wanting or grown fast to the palatines; body 



greatly elongate, eel-shaped; gill-openings restricted to the sides; 

 scales minute or wanting; scapular arch not attached to the skulL 

 Eels. 



B. Gill-openings well-developed; tongue present. 



C Skin covered with rudimentary embedded scales, usually linear in form, 

 arranged in small groups, and placed obliquely at right angles to 

 those of the neighbouring groups; pectorals and vertical fins well 

 developed, the latter confluent about the tail; lateral line present; 

 posterior nostril in front of eyes; tongue with its margins free. 



VI, AXGUILLID.*, 76 

 CC. Scales wholly wanting; eggs (so far as known) of moderate size, much 



as in ordinary fishes VII, LEPTOCEPHALID^E, 81 



BB. Gill-openings small; no tongue % VIII, MUR.-EXID^E. 82 



A A. Premaxillary and maxillary present, often immovably united to rest 

 of cranium. 



B. Gill-membranes broadly united to the isthmus, restricting the gill-open- 



ings to the sides. 



C. Teeth in each jaw confluent into one LXVI, MOLID^E, 492 



CC. Teeth separate; body enveloped in a bony box..LXIV, OSTRACIID^E, 489 



BB. Gill-membranes free from the isthmus. 



E. Caudal fin wanting; body naked, greatly elongate. 



XXXIV, TRICHIURID/E, 290 

 EE. Caudal fin present. 



F. Upper jaw prolonged into a sword; size very large 



XXXVI, XIPHIID^E, 293 

 FF. Upper jaw not prolonged into a sword. 



G. Belly with a series of bony scutes along its edge; body much compressed. 



XIII, CLUPEID^E, 95 

 GG. Belly not armed with scutes. 



H. Body ovate, much compressed .XLIV, STROMATEID^E, 328 



HH. Body oblong or elongate, much longer than deep. 



XXIX, AMMODYTID<E, 263 



545 



