Classification of Teleosfean Fishes. 79 



Mouth toothless ; gills pectinate ; anterior 

 vertebrae elongate, with separate trans- 

 verse processes ; pectoral pterygials 

 short 15 b. Centriscoidei. 



Mouth toothless ; gills lobate ; caudal verte- 

 brae very short ; pectoral arch normally 

 attached to skull ; post-temporal and 

 supra-cleithrum similar to stellate ossifi- 

 cations on body 15 c. Solenostomoidei. 



Mouth toothless ; gills lobate ; caudal verte- 

 bra3 normal ; post-temporal simple, sutu- 

 rally united to the cranium ; no supra- 

 cleithrum ; cleithrum firmly attached to 

 the transverse processes of the two 

 anterior vertebrae ; body enclosed in 

 bony rings 15 d. Syngnathoidei. 



tt Snout not tubiform ; parietals present ; pterotic not 

 reaching basioccipital. 

 § Body enclosed in bony rings ; mouth inferior. 



16. Hypostomides. 



§§ Body naked or scaly ; skeleton well ossified ; a 

 homocercal caudal fin. 

 <P No suprabranchial organ ; anterior rays of dorsal 

 and anal spinous ; pelvic fins abdominal, with- 

 out spines, each of 7 to 9 rays. 



17. Salmopercce . 



(j)(j) No suprabranchial organ ; a spinous dorsal ; 

 pelvic fins abdominal, each of a .spine and 5 

 branched rays .... 18. Percesoces. 



Pectoral fin and pterjgials normal 18a. Mugiloidei. 



Pectoral fin with a lower detached portion 

 formed of free filaments ; pterygials 

 represented by a plate attached to the 

 edge of scapula and coracoid 18 6. Polynemoidei, 



0(^0 A suprabranchial organ. 



19. Labyrinthici. 

 Fins without spines, the pelvics 6-rayed ; 

 suprabranchial organ not labyrinth ic ; 



air-bladder simple 19 a. Ophiocephaloidei. 



Fins usually with spines, each pelvic of a 

 spine and 5 soft rays or further reduced ; 

 suprabranchial organ labyrinthic ; air- 

 bladder bifurcated posteriorly 19 6. Anabantoidei. 



§§§ Body naked or scaly; skeleton in great part 

 cartilaginous ; a homocercal caudal fin ; no fin- 

 spines. 

 Pelvis represented by two separate cartilages 

 far behind the cleithra ; pectoral ptery- 

 gials normal 20. Malanchthyes. 



Pelvis unpaired, cartilaginous, articulating 

 above with a cartilage embraced by the 

 cleithra ; pectoral pterygials represented 

 by a cartilaginous plate 21. Chimdrobrachii, 



