Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1491 



ently really allied on the one hand to the Serranidce, with which group 



Dr. Bouleiiger finds that the skeleton has much in common ; on the other 



hand, they show affinities with the ScorxxKnidw. Through such forms as 



these the great group of Loricati or Mail-Cheek fishes may be connected 



with their perch-like ancestors. ( Cirrhitidcv, Giinther, Cat., n, 71-86, 1860.) 



a. Teeth on vomer and palatines; jaws with canines; scales on cheeks very small; 



dorsal spines 11 or 12. CIREHITES, 597. 



597. CIRRHITES, Lacdpede. 



Cirrhites, LACEPKDE, Hist. Nat. Poiss., v, 3, 1803 (maculatus) . 

 Cirrhitichthy*, GUNTHSR, Cat. Fishes, n, 73, I860; not of BLEEKEB. 



Body oblong, compressed, formed much as in Scicena, covered with large 

 cycloid scales; head rather obtuse; scales on cheeks very small; pre- 

 maxillaries not produced; teeth on vomer and usually on palatines also; 

 jaws with small canine teeth; anterior nostrils fringed; preopercle evenly 

 curved, its edge finely serrate. Soft parts of vertical fins scaled at base. 

 Dorsal rays 11 or 12; caudal truncate, (cirrhus, a lock of hair or a barbel; 

 referring to the simple pectoral rays. *) 



a. Color green with irregular .spots and curved bauds of dark hrown, edged with 



pulo blue. RIVULATUS, 1877. 



aa. Color yellowish with 4 complete oblique bands of black not edged with blue, 



besides black .spots; caudal with a B-shaped black spot. BETAURUS, 1878. 



1877. CIKBHITES RIVULATUS, Valenciennes. 



Head 2^; depth 3. D. X, 11; A. 111,6; scales 6-47-14. Eye 6 in head, 

 with operculur flap. Snout moderate, compressed, and rather elevated ; 

 maxillary extending to middle of eye; small bands of villiform teeth in 

 jaws, an outer row of strong canine-like teeth on the sides of jaws, with 

 strong canines towards the front, canines about ; interorbital space 

 deeply concave, * in eye; a low longitudinal median crest on crown of 

 head; preopercle finely serrate behind in the young, entire in adult; gill 

 rakers very short and thick, about 5+10. The fourth, fifth, and sixth 

 dorsal spines longest, 4 in head, of moderate strength. Pectoral very 

 broad, rather short, not reaching tips of ventrals, its lower rays much 

 swollen. Second anal spine longer than third. Color brownish green, 

 with transverse dark-brown spots and short bands, all of which are edged 



margin minutely serrated ; interior ridge very low. Outlines of operculum very irregular ; 

 posterior margin notched, but there are no spines ; interior margin waved. Interoper- 

 culum bent, witli side joining suboperculum emarginate. Suboperculum elongated, with 

 posterior extremity produced beyond operculum. Preorbital broad, rhomboid. Space 

 between orbits rather narrow and "flat. Occipital crest well developed, triangular; lateral 

 crests scarcely visible. Bones of humeral arch rather strong, and both the coracoid 

 bones joined together by a long horizontal suture. Lower extremity of radius provided 

 with several peculiar processes. Pubic bones rather elongate and narrow, each of them 

 formed by three lamella? of nearly equal development. Ten abdominal and 16 caudal 

 vertebra?, length of former portion of vertebral column being to that of caudal as 1 :1.5. 

 Neural and hremal spines of moderate length and strength, each of the interneurals 

 dilated. The first interhamial very strong, and evidently formed by 2 ; it has 2 ridges on 

 each side, and a low one anteriorly." 



* Described by Lacepede as, " l)es barbillons reunis par une membrane, et places aupres 

 de la pectorale, de maniere & representer une nageoire'semblable & cette derniere." 



