Jordan and Evermann. Fishes of North America. 1697 



Suborder SGLERODEKMI. 



Plectognaths with a spinous dorsal composed of one or more spines 

 inserted just behind the cranium; body of the normal fish-like shape; 

 scales rough, or spinigerous, of regular form; jaws with distinct teeth, 

 conical or incisor-like. Four families may be recognized. (6H\rjpo^ 

 hard; ds'pjua, skin.) 



a. Ventral fins represented each by a large spine, normally articulating with the pelvic 

 bones; scales rounded, more or less spinigerous ; vertebrae 19. 



TRIACANTHID.E, CLXVIII. 

 aa. Ventral fins obsolete or the pair represented by a single spine at the end of the long 



pelvic bone; scales rough, rhombic, or spiniform. 

 &.* Vertebrae in small number, 17 to 21 ; no barbel at chin ; gill opening not before 



the eyes. 



c. First dorsal composed of 3, rarely 2 spines, the first spine very large, the 



second locking it in erection ; scales comparatively large, bony, rough, 



forming a coat of mail ; vertebrae 17. BALISTID^E, CLXIX. 



cc. First dorsal of a single spine, with a rudiment at its base ; scales minute, 



not bony, the edges spinescent, so that the surface of the body is 



rough velvety. MONACANTHID^E, CLXX. 



Family CLXVIII. TRIACANTHID^E. 



Body compressed, covered with small or minute rounded scales more or 

 less spinigerous. Mouth small; teeth in 1 or 2 series in each jaw, conical 

 or incisor-like. First dorsal fin of 3 to 6 strong spines, the first one largest ; 

 soft dorsal rather long and low, similar to anal; ventral fins each a strong 

 spine attached to the pelvic bone; vertebrae (in Triacanthm) 9 + 10=19. 

 Three genera and about 5 species; tropical shore fishes, chiefly East 

 Indian, 1 of them American. (Triacanthina, Gunther, Cat. Fishes, vm, 

 208-211,1870.) 



TRIACANTHODINJE : 

 a. Teeth conical, not incisor-like; caudal peduncle short. 



&. Teeth in one row in each jaw. HOLLARDIA, 666. 



666. HOLLARDIA, Poey. 



Hollardia, POEY, Memorias, n, 348, 1861 (hollardi). 



Body compressed, rhomboid; the back elevated mesially, the dorsal 

 and ventral outlines similar. Dorsal inserted posteriorly, with 6 spines, 

 not depressible in a furrow, the first spine much larger and longer than 

 the others; ventral spines long and rough; teeth conical, in 1 series, about 

 10 in each j aw ; no distinct lateral line ; scales each of several simple spines 

 separate to the base, long and sharp. One species. (Named for Henri Hoi- 

 lard, t at one time professor of zoology in the faculty of sciences at Poiters, 



* Vertebrae 29 or 30, chin with a long barbel, gill openings before the eyes, in the East 

 Indian family, Psilocephalidce. 



t " Je prie'M. Hollard d'accepter mon hommage, comme un tribut de reconnaissance 

 pour le beau travail qu'il a insere dans les Annales des Sciences tfaturelles." (Poey.) 



