Classification of the Percoid Fishes. 139 



Fani. 2. Bathymasterida. 



Lateral line terminating near end of the many-rayed dorsal 

 tin, which has only a lew spines anteriorly ; no supra- 

 niax.lary ; vomerine and palatine teeth. No suboeular 

 shelf from the second suborbital, but the first and the pne- 

 orbital form a shelf for attachment to the lateral ethmoid 

 1 rooties not forming a roof for the mvodome ; no basi- 

 sp .moid. Vertebrae 49 to 52 (14-15 + 35-37) ; praecaudala 

 with parapophyses from the third; ribs, except the first, on 

 parapophyses. In other characters similar to the Opistho- 

 gnathuhe, to which they are closely related. 



Principal genera : Batkymaster, Rathbunella. 



Fam. 3. Pinguipedidae. 



Lateral line complete, continuous. Dorsal fin elongate 

 continuous, with a iexv spines anteriorly ; rays equal in 

 number to the vertebra below them, each baial attached 

 to its own neural spine. Anal long, with 2 spines. Caudal 

 with 15 or 1/ principal rays, 13 or ] 5 branched. Pelvics 

 below or somewhat in advance of the pectorals, fairly wide 

 apart, each of a spine and 5 branched rays, without scaly 

 axillary process. Mouth protractile, terminal, slightly 

 oblique ; jaws normally formed ; maxillary concealed with- 

 out supramaxillary ; teeth in jaws villiform, with canines • 

 teet oa vomer and usually on palatines. Two nostrils on 

 each side. Gill-membranes united, free from the isthmus ■ 

 6 branchiostegals ; 4 gills, pseudobranchire present No 

 suboeular shelf. Skull flattish above, rathe/strong y ex- 

 panded behind the orbits, the sphenotics with prom ne. t 

 projections; occipital crest short and parietal c, It 

 met or absent; exoccipital condyles well separated a 

 basipheno.d. Foramen in hypercoracoid (pLuipls) or 

 between it and hypocoracoid (Parapercis) ; raSfhour 

 glass-shaped, 4 m number, 2 on hvpoeoraeoid ; £stcleiX a 

 lan.mar 2 on each side. Vertebrae 30-38 (10-16 + o ( »' . 

 prajcaudals W ith parapophyses from the third ; all the ribV 

 or all but the first, on parapophyses; epidurals attached to 

 parapophyses or to ribs near their insertion 



Principal genera : Pinguipes, Parapercis, Neopercis. 



Fam. 4. Chimarrhichthyidaj. 

 Chimarrhichthys, with a single species from mm,,,, ■ 

 torrents of Ne, Zed.nd, difffr* nL',,,, i™,^"^ 



