2346 Bulletin //, United States National Museum. 



aa. Body scaleless ; species oviparous, so far as known. 



p. Teeth comb-shaped, in a single row in each jaw, behind which are sometimes 

 long canines; vomer and palatines usually toothless; lateral line usually 

 single, with a strong arch anteriorly; dorsal fin long, continuous, or di- 

 vided into 2 fins, the anterior portion composed of spines, which are stiff or 

 flexible; anal fin long, usually with 1 or 2 small spines; ventrals well- 

 developed, jugular, of 2 or 3 rays. 

 q. Teeth all fixed, attached to the bone of the jaws and not movable. 



r. Caudal fin lunate or forked; teeth compressed; spines and soft rays 



of dorsal indistinguishable. 

 *. Ventral fins very long, each of a spine and a soft ray. 



ATOPOCLINUS, 882. 



st. Ventral fins not $ length of head, each with about 2 soft rays; 

 gill opening reduced to a small slit above pectoral. 



RUNULA, 883. 

 BLENNIIN^E : 

 rr. Caudal fin rounded ; teeth slender ; gill membranes not reduced to a 



small slit. 

 t. Teeth all fixed, attached to the bone of the jaws. 



v. Gill membranes free from the isthmus, or at least form- 



ing a distinct fold across it. 



w. Jaws one or both with a posterior fang-like canine, 

 much longer than the anterior teeth. 



BLENNIUS, 884. 

 now. Jaws without canines, the teeth all equal. 



SCARTELLA, 885. 



vv. Gill membranes broadly united to the isthmus, the 



gill openings restricted to the sides. 

 x. Jaws oneor both with posterior fang-like canines. 

 HYPLEUEOCHILUS, 886. 



xx. Jaws without posterior canines; the teeth equal. 

 y. Three articulated ventral rays. 



z. Mouth small, the maxillary extending 

 scarcely beyond front of eye; the 

 head decurved in profile. 



HYPSOBLENNIUS, 887. 



zz. Mouth large, the maxillary extending 



beyond vertical from middle of 



eye ; the head rather pointed in 



profile. CHASMODES, 888. 



yy. Four articulated ventral rays. 



HOMESTHES, 889. 

 SALARIINJE : 



qq. Teeth of front of jaws all movable, implanted on the skin of the lips. 

 a'. Vomer toothless. 



b'. Jaws without posterior canines ; dorsal fin deeply notched. 



SCARTICHTHYS, 890. 



bb'. Jaws one or both with posterior fang-like canines. 



x. Dorsal fin continuous. RUPISCARTES, 891. 



xx. Dorsal fin divided. ENTOMACRODUS, 892. 



aa'. Vomer with a few teeth; posterior canines small. 



SALARIICHTHYS, 893. 



pp. Teeth unequal, not comb-like; body oblong or elongate, more or less eel- 

 shaped, naked, or rarely with rudimentary scales; supraocular flap 

 sometimes present. Gill membranes united, free from the isthmus; 

 dorsal fin very long, sometimes divided into 2 fins ; formed of flexible 

 spines, which often pass gradually into soft rays ; anal fin long; ventral 



