Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 2327 



no cartilage. The posterior peripheric portion is suspended on each side 

 on the coracoid, the upper bone of which is exceedingly broad, becoming 

 a free, movable plate behind the pectoral. The lower bone of the cora- 

 coid is of a triangular form, and supports a very broad fold of the skin, 

 extending from one side to the other, and containing a cartilage which 

 runs through the whole of that fold. Fine processes of the cartilage are 

 continued into the soft striated margin, in which the disk terminates 

 posteriorly. The face of the disk is coated with a thick epidermis, like 

 the sole of the foot in higher animals. The epidermis is divided into 

 many polygonal plates. There are no such plates between the roots of 

 the ventral fins." (Giinther, Cat., in. 495.) No air bladder; intestines 

 short; pyloric caeca few or none; skeleton firm; vertebrae 13 or 14-f-13 to 

 22 = 26 to 36. Carnivorous fishes of small size, chiefly of the warm seas, 

 usually living among loose stones between the tide marks and clinging 

 to them firmly by means of the adhesive disk. Their relations are obscure, 

 but they are probably descended from allies or ancestors of the Cottidce 

 or Batraclioidido}. Genera about 15 ; species 50. The principal genus is 

 Gobiesox. (Gobesocidce, Giinther, Cat., m, 489-515.) 



GOBIESOCIN.E : 

 a. Gill membranes free from the isthmus ; gills 3 ; posterior part of sucking disk with 



no free anterior margin. 

 b. Incisors of lower jaw with entire edges. 



c. Vertebras about 32; anal fin long, nearly as long as dorsal. 



CAULARCHUS, 863. 

 cc. Vertebrae about 26; anal fin short. 



d. Dorsal fin very long, of about 17 rays, twice as long as the moderate 

 anal, which has 8 or 9 rays; disk broad; upper teeth in several 

 rows. BRYSSET^ERES, 864. 



dd. Dorsal fin moderate or short, of 4 to 13 rays. 



e. Disk more or less broad, its length 2 to 3 in body ; dorsal and 



anal not very short, their rays 6 or more; body tapering 



rapidly backward ; opercular spine strong. GOBIESOX, 865. 



ee. Disk very narrow, its width 4 to 5 in body ; head short, 3J to 4 



in body ; dorsal and anal very short and small ; a patch of 



teeth in each jaw behind the large teeth; sucking disk 



small. RIMICOLA, 866. 



&&. Incisors of lower jaw tricnspid or serrate; dorsal and anal fins short; verte- 

 brae about 28. ABBACIOSA, 867. 



863. CAULARCHUS, Gill. 

 Caularchus, GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1862, 330 (mceandricut). 



This genus differs from GoMesox chiefly in the numerous vertebrae, 32 in 

 the only species known. The incisors are entire, the anal fin similar to 

 the dorsal, each having 12 or 13 rays. The single species reaches a large 

 size and is found farther north than any other of the group, a fact in 

 accord with the increased number of vertebras. (xavXoS, stem; 

 anus; from the many-rayed anal.) 



