Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 2881 



pp. Scales not as above. 

 q. Anal fin much longer than dorsal; body much compressed, the 



belly prominent. 



r. Dorsal spines none; scales cycloid. .CXI, BATHYCLUPEID^E, 834. 

 rr. Dorsal spines few, graduated; anal spines 3. 



CXXXIX, PEMPHERIDID./E, 977. 

 qq. Anal fin not much, if any, longer than dorsal. 

 s. Pseudobranchue wanting or covered by skin. 

 t. Dorsal fin of soft rays, only beginning as a crest on the head; 

 caudal widely forked. Pelagic fishes. 



CXXIX, CORYPH^NID^E, 951. 

 tt. Dorsal fin with spines anteriorly, not beginning on the head. 



Fresh-water fishes. 

 u. Anal spines 3 to 10. 

 v. Dorsal spines 6 to 12 ; lateral line well developed. 



CXLI, CENTRARCHID.E, 984. 



vv. Dorsal spines about 4 ; no lateral line ; length less than 2 inches. 



CXL, ELASSOMATID.E, 981. 

 uu. Anal spines 1 or 2; body oblong or elongate; length less than 8 



inches CXLIII, PERCID.E, 1015. 



88. Pseudobrauclme developed. 



w. Spinous dorsal of 2 or 3 short spines only; anal without spines; 



scales small, smooth CXLVI, SERRANID.E, 1126. 



ww. Spinous dorsal, if present, not as above. 



x. Opercle ending in a long scaly flap; snout depressed, spatulate; 

 mouth very large, the lower jaw projecting. 



CXCIV, CH^NICHTHYID^:, 2293. 



xx. Opercle not ending in a long scaly flap; snout not greatly de- 

 pressed. 

 y. Pectoral fin broad, its lower rays thickened and not branched. 



CLVI, ClRRHITIDyE, 1490. 



yy. Pectoral rather narrow at base, its lower rays branched, like the 

 others. 



z. Dorsal fin continuous, the spines few, slender; maxillary usually 

 with an enlarged tooth behind ; nape sometimes with an 

 adipose appendage ; anal fin long, even. 



CXC, MALACANTHID^E, 2274. 



zz. Dorsal fin continuous or divided, not as above. 



a. Perch-like fishes, the caudal peduncle not very slender, the scales 

 well developed, ctenoid or cycloid; the dorsal with dis- 

 tinct spines; the anal with at least 1 spine, its soft 

 rays usually few. 



6. Maxillary not sheathed by the preorbital, or only partially cov- 

 ered by the edge of the latter; ventral with its accessory 

 scale very small or wanting; pectoral without accessory 

 scale; sheath at base of spinous dorsal little developed; 

 vomer usually with teeth; opercle usually ending in a 

 spine. 



c. Precaudal vertebrre with transverse processes from the third or 



fourth to the last; ribs all but the last 1 to 4 sessile, 

 inserted on the centra behind the transverse processes; 

 anal spines 3 ; species silvery in color, the dorsal deeply 

 notched, with 10 spines; vertebra? 10+15=25. 



CXLII, KUHLIID.E, 1013. 



cc. Precaudal vertebrse normal, anteriorly without transverse pro- 

 cesses ; all or most of the ribs inserted on the transverse 

 processes when these are developed. 



d. Anal spines 2 or 1 ; pseud obranclmB small; preopercle with a 



hook-like spine below; vertebras increased in number (30 



to 46). Fresh-water fishes CXLIII, PERCID.E, 1015. 



dd. Anal spines 2, rarely 3; vertebrae 24 or 25; dorsal fin divided. 

 Marine fishes CXLIV, CHEILODIPTERID^, 1105. 



