On the Cirrhitifovm Percoids. 259 



XXIX. — 0)1 the Cirrhittform Percoids. 

 By C. Tate Regan, M.A. 



(Published bj permission of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 



Dr. GiJNTHER inclu'^ed in the family Cirrhitidse a number of 

 Perch-like fishes with the lower pectoral rays simple and with 

 the pelvic fins rather far behind the pectorals. Ha/dodacti/lu?, 

 which resembled tiie Cirrhitid^e in these features, was placed 

 by him in the Sparidre on account of its different dentition, 

 the teeth being compressed instead of villiform. 



After making a detailed study of these fishes, I conclude 

 that the Cirrhitidte of Giinthsr, with the addition of Flaplo- 

 dacfylus, are a natural and well-defined group which might 

 almost be regarded as a single family with five subfamilies, 

 but which it is, perhaps, better to recognize as a division — 

 Cirrhitiformes — of the suborder Percoidea of tiie order 

 Percomor[)hi. 



Tiie Cirrhitiform Percoids have the following character- 

 istics : — Body scaly ; lateral line complete, continuous, 

 nearly straight. Spinous dorsal well developed ; 3 anal 

 spines; caudal of 15 principal rays, all or 13 branched; pec- 

 torals with the lower 5 to 8 rays simple ; pelvics rather far 

 behind the pectorals, each of a spine and 5 branched rays, 

 without scaly axillary process. Two nostrils on each side. 

 Gill-membranes united, free from the isthmus ; 3 to 6 

 branchiostegals ; 4 gills ; pseudobranchia3. Last 3 upper 

 pharyngeals toothed ; lower pharyngeals separate. Prae- 

 maxillaries with ascending pedicels of moderate length ; 

 maxillary ramus expanded distally, without supramaxillary ; 

 prjeorbital expanded ; prjeoperculum subcrescentic ; oper- 

 culum rather deep, with the free posterior edge more or less 

 concave between two obtuse or acute prominences; sub- 

 operculum long and narrow, projecting beyond operculum ; 

 hyo-palatine bones typically Percoid ; parietals separated 

 by supraoccipital ; a basisphenoid ; alisphenoids not in con- 

 tact. Skull more or less compressed, rather elevated poste- 

 riorly ; upper surface flattish or somewhat convex ; occipital 

 crest not extending forward on frontals ; parietal crests 

 vestigial or absent ; exoccipital condyles contiguous. Post- 

 temporal forked ; upper post-cleithrum laminar, lower 

 slender ; lower part of cleithrum much expanded antero- 

 posteriorly, meeting its fellow in a long carinate symphysis; 

 cleithra also with broad transverse laminar expansions ; 

 hypercoracoid perforate, hypocoracoid with an inferior process 



17* 



