36 THE ANGLER-NATURALIST. 



CHAPTER III. 

 GENERAL CLASSIFICATION OF FISH. 



FISHES are divided into 





 Series, 



Orders, 

 Families, 

 Genera, and 

 Species. 



[Sometimes, for the sake of convenience, Families are further sepa- 

 rated into Divisions or Subdivisions, and Genera into Subgenera.] 



The two grand series of fishes consist of, (1) those pos- 

 sessing bony skeletons, which are called True, or Bony, 

 fishes ; and (2) those which have skeletons of cartilage or 

 gristle, which are called Cartilaginous fishes, or Chondro- 

 pterygii. The latter also want some bones of the jaws, 

 and have other peculiarities. 



The TRUE, or BONY, FISHES are divided into six 

 Orders, viz. : 



Order I. ACANTHOPTERYGII, or Spiny-finned Fishes. (From 

 Gr. acantha, a spine, and pterygion, a fin.) In 

 this Order the first portion of the back-fin, or first 

 back-fin when there are two, always has spinous 

 rays or supports which are also found in the anal 

 and ventral fins. This Order has no great divisions, 

 but contains fifteen Families. 



