Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1659 



Scarus perrico, JORDAN & GILBERT, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mas. 1881, 357, Mazatlan (Type, No. 



28328. Coll. C. H. Gilbert) ; JORDAN, Review Labroid Fishes, 688, 1890. 

 Scarus perrico, JORDAN, Fishes of Sinaloa, in Proc. Cal. Ac. Sci. 1895, 483. 



Group ZEOIDEA. 



This group contains the single family Zeidcv. Its relationships are 

 uncertain, the armature and tho increased number of the ventral ravs 

 indicating relationship to the llcrij<'i<l<\', while the attachment of the post- 

 temporal to the skull suggests affinity with the Teutliididce. 



Family CLXII. ZEID.E. 



(THE JOHN DORIES.) 



Body short, deep, much compressed and elevated, naked or covered 

 with minute smooth scales, or with bony protuberances. Mouth large, 

 terminal, the upper jaw protractile. Teeth small, in narrow bands or 

 single series on the jaws and voiner and sometimes on. the palatines. 

 Eyes lateral, placed high; oporcle much reduced; some of the bones of 

 head usually with spines; preopercle not serrate. Postf-temporal very 

 firmly attached to the skull; lower limb adnate for its whole length; 

 the distal end only of its upper limb is attached. The supra-clavicle 

 short and triangular, bearing a short spine near its anterior angle, its 

 posterior edge divided into 3 spines, 2 or 3 of which stand out above 

 the surface of the skin. Ventral edge often serrate, with strong bony 

 plates. Lateral line well developed, concurrent with the back. Branchi- 

 ostegals 7 or 8. Gill openings wide, the membranes little united, free 

 from the isthmus. Pseudobranchi;e large. Air bladder large. Gill rakers 

 usually short; gills 4, a slit behind the fourth. Dorsal fin emarginate or 

 divided, tho anterior part Avith spines, which are often strong, the pos- 

 terior part longer, its highest rays behind the middle; soft anal entirely 

 similar to soft dorsal, usually preceded by 1 to 4 spines which are not 

 graduated and which often form a separate fin; ventral fins thoracic, 

 well developed, their rays usually I, 6 to I, 8;* pectorals small; caudal 

 fin rounded, on a moderate peduncle. Lateral line obscure, unarmed. 

 Pyloric cjeca exceedingly numerous. Vertebrae about 32 (Zeus). Genera 

 8; species about 15; fishes of singular appearance, inhabiting warm seas, 

 often at considerable depth. The species undergo great changes in the 

 course of development. The " John Dory" (Zeus fabcr) is a well-known 

 food-fish of southern Europe. The relations of this family are not evi- 

 dent, and it should form a distinct group or superfamily. The increased 

 number of ventral rays and the armature of the belly suggest relationship 

 with the Berycoids; the adnate post* temporal suggests the Chyetodonts. 

 Not having any better arrangement to suggest, we leave the Zeidw in 

 association with the Chwtodontidce, removing them from the neighborhood 

 of the Scombroid forms, to which they bear only the most superficial resem- 



* Said to be I, 5 in Oreosoma, which may be an error in counting. 



