1106 Bulletin 47, United States National Museum. 



SCOMBROPIN.3S. 



aa. Body elongate, the form approaching that of the Barracuda (Sphijrsena); mouth large; anal 



spines 3 or 4. 



g. Teeth subequal, without distinct canines; preopercle serrate. D. VII-I, 10; A. Ill, 7; 

 scales small, about 60. SPHYR.ENOPS, 487. 



gg. Teeth unequal, the jaws with long canines; preopercle entire or nearly so. 



h. Second dorsal and anal long, each of 12 to 14 soft rays; soft parts of vertical fins 



scaly; scales rather small, 45 to 50. SCOMBROPS, 488. 



hh. Second dorsal and anal short, each with 7 to 9 soft rays; vertical fins scarcely 



scaly; scales large, about 30. HYPOCLYDONIA, 489 



481. APOGON,* Lace-pede. 

 (KINGS OF THE MULLETS.) 



Amia, GRONOW, Zoophyl., 80, 1763, (moluccensis; nonbinomial); GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 



1862, 237, (imberbis; scales 20 to 28). 



Apogon, LACPDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., in, 411, 1802, (ruber = imberbis). 

 Ostorhinchus, LACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 165, 1802, (fleurieu). 

 Dipterodon, JLACEPEDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., iv, 167, 1802, (hexacanlhus, etc.). 

 Monoprion, POEY, Memorias, n, 123, 1860, (maculaius). 



fLepidamia, GILL, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1863, 81, (kalosoma; scales 33 to 38). 

 Mionurus, KREFFT, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1867, 942, (lunatus). 



Body oblong, compressed, covered with large, ctenoid scales. Lateral 

 line continuous, with 20 to 30 scales. Head large; mouth wide, oblique, 

 the maxillary extending to below middle of the large eye ; villiform teeth 

 on jaws, vomer, and palatines ; no canine teeth ; preopercle with a double 

 ridge, the edge somewhat serrate, at least in the young, becoming entire 

 with age in some species; opercle with a spine behind. Gill rakers rather 

 long. Dorsal spines 6 or 7, strong ; second dorsal remote, short ; anal 

 with 2 spines and 8 or 9 soft rays,t the second much the longer, the soft 

 part similar to the soft dorsal; pectorals and ventrals moderate ; vertebrae 

 11 + 14=:25. Warm seas; the species numerous, (a, without; TTOJ-WV, a 

 beard; thus distinguished from the bearded mullet, Mullus barbatus.) 



*The following description of the skull of Apogon is given by Dr. Gunther: The skull of the 

 species of the genus Apogon is distinguished by the hemispherical prominent capsula cerebri, 

 formed by the parietal and occipital bones and by the hinder part of the frontals; the latter past 

 is generally provided with 2 or more small spinous prominences; the orbital part of the frontals 

 is very developed, not flat, but with a deep, narrow groove along the median line; this groove is 

 bifid behind, thus separating the orbital part of the frontals from the posterior. In front of the 

 median groove is a high ridge, generally half as long as the diameter of the eye, and bifid behind; 

 this ridge, together with those spinous prominences of the frontals, is for the purpose of keeping 

 the skin suspended above the grooves. Large mucose cavities are formed thereby, communica- 

 ting with those of the suborbital arch, etc. The occipital crest is very developed and broad, more 

 or less truncated behind, reaching downward to the vertebral column and supported by another, 

 narrower, horizontal one, which arises also from the occipital. Another peculiarity of the skull 

 of Apogon is the internal free ridge of the preoperculum, parallel to the external margin. The 

 operculum is always supported by a strong, straight bony ridge, conspicuous from the outside, 

 but prominent only at the inner surface; it arises noar the articulation of the operculum with 

 the epitympanic (os temporale), and projects sometimes in a small free spine at the hinder angle 

 f the operculum. In Apogon imberbis the lower outer margin only of the preoperculum is very 

 finely denticulated, the teeth becoming smaller at the angle. The vomerine and palatine teeth 

 are arranged in a single row, the series of the former forming a right angle. There are 11 

 abdominal and 14 caudal vertebra. 



f This genus, as defined by Lac6pede, includes species of Lutianus, Apogon, Aspro, Bairdiella, etc. 

 As one of these species, hexacanthus, is type of the earlier genus Apoqon, Dipterodon may be 

 regarded as a synonym of Apogon. 



t 12 to 17 soft rays in the East Indian genus Archamia. 



