118 Mr. C. T. Regan on the 



densely scaly, the jaws have a series of strong pointed teeth, 

 with a few inner teeth anteriorly in the upper, smaller teeth 

 are present on the vomer and palatines, a supramaxillary is 

 present and is rather abnormal in form, having a well-marked 

 projection superiorly. Gymnapogon (Eegan, Ann. & Mag. 

 N. H. (7) xv. 1905, p. 19) is near Scambrops, but there are 

 no scales and the supramaxillary is absent. 



Fam. 15. RhachicentridaB *. 



The spinous dorsal of a few short free spines and the long 

 soft dorsal and anal distinguish Rhachicentrwn from the 

 Serrauidae ; the skull is depressed, flattish above, with the 

 exoccipital condyles wide apart, and there is no subocular 

 shelf; otherwise the skeleton is Serrauid. 



Fam. 16. Carangidae. 



Differ from the Serrauidae in the shorter spinous dorsal, 

 with the spines slender or short, the longer soft dorsal and 

 anal, the detachment of the two first anal spines from the 

 rest of the fin, the more widely forked caudal, with the bases 

 of the rays embracing the hypurals to a greater extent, and 

 the more slender caudal peduncle. Head-skeleton and 

 pectoral arch as in the Serrauidae. Vertebra; usually 24 

 (10+14) (10+15 in Naucrates, 10+ 10 in Scornbroides, 

 10+17 in Parqpsis). In Seriola, Caranx, and their allies, the 

 anterior ribs are sessile and most of the ribs are inserted on 

 parapophyses when these arc developed, but in Trachynotus, 

 Lichia, Paropsis, Scornbroides, &c, parapophyses are de- 

 veloped from the third or fourth vertebra, but the ribs, except 

 the last two pairs, are sessile. 



Fam. 17. Menidae. 



The very aberrant Mene may perhaps be related to the 

 Carangidae, from which it differs externally in the absence 

 of dorsal and anal spines. The inner apophyses of the 

 maxillaries are compressed into vertical laminae, with their 

 lower edges articulating in a pair of parallel grooves separated 

 by a median ridge on the antero-superior surface of the 

 vomer ; a similar arrangement occurs in the Oarangid 

 Micropteryx. There is a strong occipital crest; the post- 

 orbital part of the skull is elevated and the epiotics meet 

 behind the supraoccipital. There are 23 vertebrae (9 + 14) ; 



* Cf. Regan, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist, (8) iii. 1909, p. G8. 



