Jordan and Ever mann. Fishes of North America. 1105 



middle of the sides, forming an interrupted lateral streak; three small 

 dark spots at base of tail ; soft parts of vertical fins with light and dark bars ; 

 lower half of spinous dorsal jet black, then a broad red band narrowly 

 edged above with black ; a dusky streak below orbit and one in front 

 of it. Arkansas and Texas, in clear rocky streams ; rather scarce ; known 

 only from Washita River, at Arkadelphia; San Marcos River, at San Mar- 

 cos, Texas ; Comal Creek, at New Braunfels, Texas, (fons, fountain ; colo, 

 to inhabit, it being most common in the great spring in which the Rio 

 San Marcos rises.) 



Alvarins fonticola, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1886, 23, San Marcos River, San 



Marcos, Texas. (Typo, No. 36523. Coll. Jordan & Gilbert.) 

 Etheosioma fonticola, EVERMANN & KENDALL, Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., xn, 1892 (1894), 115, pi. 



xxxvi, fig. 4; BOULENQER, Cat., i, 90. 



Family CXLIV. CHEILODIPTERHXE. 

 (THE CARDINAL FISHES.) 



Body oblong or elongate, sometimes compressed and elevated, covered 

 with rather large scales, which are striated and ctenoid, or sometimes 

 cycloid ; cheeks scaly ; lateral line continuous ; cleft of mouth wide, 

 oblique ; villiform teeth on jaws and vomer, and sometimes on palatines; 

 canines sometimes present; (teeth wanting in Brephostoma) ; preopercle 

 with a double ridge, its edge entire or slightly serrated ; opercular spine 

 little developed ; lower pharyngeals separate, with sharp teeth ; pseudo- 

 branchiae present ; branchiostegals 6 or 7. Dorsal fins well separated, the 

 first with 6 to 9 rather strong spines; no dorsal sheath or furrow ; anal 

 fin short, usually with 2 spines, sometimes with 3 or 4; ventral fins thor- 

 acic, I, 5, without axillary scale. Small fishes of the tropics, especially 

 abundant in the East Indies, some of them in fresh waters, most of them 

 in rather deep waters. Color often bright red. Genera about 15 ; species 

 about 130. (Percidce, part; group Apogonina, Giinther, Cat., i, 222-250, 

 1859.) 



CHEILODIPTERIN^E : 

 a. Body oblong, not greatly compressed nor greatly elongate; anal spines 2, rarely 3; teeth 



present in jaws at least. 

 b. Anal fin with 2 spines, the soft rays usually 8 or 9. 



G, Canines none; teeth all villiform; lateral line normal. 

 d. Palatines with teeth. 



e. Scales large, 20 to 30 in lateral line. 



/. Preopercle with its posterior edge distinctly serrate, at least in the 



young. APOGON, 481. 



/. Preopercle with its ridges entire at all ages. APOGONICHTHYS, 482. 



ee. Scales small, 40 to 45 in lateral line. GLOSSAMIA, 483. 



dd. Palatines toothless; teeth moderate; eye very large; body elongate; scales 



rather small: preopercle entire or nearly so. EPIQONUS, 484. 



cc. Canines present in jaws. Dorsal spines 6; opercle unarmed ; anal spines 2. 



CHEILODIPTERUS, 485. 



bb. Anal fin with 3 spines and 8 soft rays; no teeth on vomer or palatines; no canines; cau- 

 dal rounded; opercles entire; body moderately elongate. AMIICHTHYS, 486. 



F. N. A. 71 



