Jordan and Ever man n. Fishes of North America. 863 



11. Spinous dorsal represented by several free spines; body elon- 

 gate, fusiform; scales small; caudal little forked. 



RAC-HYCENTRIDJK, cxxvu. 

 kk. Vertebra) 30 or more (in excess of 10 + 14). 



p. (Esophagus with tooth-like processi's; Kpinous dorsal and ven- 

 trals rudimentary or wanting; body compressed; caudal 

 deeply forked; gill membranes attached to the isthmus or 

 not. STROMATEID.-K, cxxxv. 



pp. (Esophagus without tooth -like processes; gill membranes 

 free from the isthmus; caudal fin deeply forked; skeleton 

 more or less firm. 



q. Dorsal rays all with simple rays, none of them articulate 

 or branched; ventrals jugular, I, 3 to I, 5. 



PTERACLID;E, cxxxi. 

 qq. Dorsal rays not all simple, some or all of them branched 



or articulate; ventral fins thoracic, I, 5. 

 r. Dorsal fin with a distinct spinous part. 



. Spinous dorsal well developed, the spines 10 to 12 



in number. 



<. Scales weak, cycloid. NOMEID*:, cxxvui. 



tt. Scales firm, each one with a median ridge. 



STEINEGERIID^E, cxxxin. 



ss. Spinous dorsal little developed, of 3 or 4 weak and 

 slender spines continuous with the soft rays; 

 dorsal fin beginning behind the head; body 

 ovate; scales firm, not very small; hypercora- 

 coid very large, entering ventral outline, 

 intervening between the very short pelvic 

 bone and the shoulder girdle. 



BRAMID^E, cxxxn. 

 rr. Dorsal fin without spinous part, all the rays branched 



and articulate. 



. Dorsal beginning as a crest on the head; body 

 oblong; scales very small. 



CORYPH-ENID^E, CXXIX. 



MU. Dorsal beginning above the axil of the pectoral; 

 caudal rounded or merely emarginate; skele- 

 ton without firmness, soft like a wet rag; 

 dorsal spines few or none. 



ICOSTEID^, CXXXVI. 



jj. Anal fin excessively long, more than twice as long as dorsal; scales 

 well developed; dorsal spines few, graduated. 



PEMPHERI;K, cxxxix. 



hh. Scales firm, linear, parchment-like; body compressed; spinous dorsal short; 



bones of head rough ; mouth small. GRAMMICOLEPID.*:, cxxxvu. 



hhh. Scales hard, bony, arranged in oblique spirals; tail with 2 keels; teeth in 



jaws comb-like; body oblong. TETBAGONURID^E, cxxxvm. 



Family CXVIII. SCOMBRID,E.* 

 (THE MACKERELS.) 



Body elongate, fusiform, not much compressed, covered with minute 

 cycloid scales, the scales anteriorly sometimes forming a corselet. Lat- 

 eral line present, its course undulate. Head subconic, pointed anteriorly. 



* For a review of tho Mackerels (Scontbrinn) of America and Europe, see Dresslar and Fesler 

 in Bull. U. S. Fish Cornm., vn, 1887 (1889), 429 to 446. 



