;8o 



COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS. 



Genus. SCORP.SNA. Body scaled. Occiput with a groove. 

 First dorsal with eleven spines, second with one spine and 

 nine or ten soft rays. Anal with three spines and five soft 

 rays. 



Genus. PTBROIS. Body scaled. Many spines and rays 

 isolated, rays branched. No pectoral appendages. Indian 

 seas. 



Genus. APISTOS. One pectoral appendage. Red Sea. 



Genus. HEMITRIPTERUS. Scales rudimentary. Spinous 

 dorsal, with deep notch in front. 



Genus. SYNANCKIA. Scales none. Head grotesque. No 

 teeth on vomer. One dorsal. Indian seas. 



Genus. PELOR. Scales none. Two pectoral appendages. 



Sub-family. CoTTiNvG. Spinous part of dorsal less devel- 

 oped than soft part and anal. Body scaled or naked, or plated. 



Genus. BLEPSIAS. Head and body compressed ; head with 

 tentacles, skin with prickles. Ventrals hardly visible. 



Genus. COTTUS. Head broad and flat. Scales none. 

 Dorsals moderate. No palatine teeth. 



Genus. PLATVCEPHALUS. Head very broad. Ventral* 

 under thorax, and behind root of pectorals. First dorsal 

 spine short and separate. 



Genus. TRIGLA. Pectoral appendages three. No palatine 

 teeth. Scales very small. 



Sub-family. CATAPHRACTI. Body covered with bony 

 plates. 



Genus. AGONUS. Two dorsals, pectorals moderate ; no 

 pectoral appendages. 



Genus. PERISTKTHUS. Two pectoral appendages. 



Genus. DACTYLOPTERUS. Pectorals very large and used 

 for flight. 



Family. TRACHINIDjE. Body long, naked, or scaled. 

 Teeth in bands, no molars or cutting teeth. Spinous portion 

 of dorsal less developed than the soft portion ; ventrals with 

 one spine and five rays. Gill-opening under, branchiostegals 

 five to seven. 



Genus. URANOSCOPUS. Eyes on upper part of head ; lateral 

 line continuous. Dorsals two. Mediterranean. 



Genus. TRACHINUS. Eyes lateral. Head not cuirassed. 

 Lateral line continuous. Cleft of mouth oblique. Two dor- 

 sals, ventrals under throat. Teeth on palate. 



Genus. SILLAGO. No palatine teeth. Ventrals under 

 thorax. Rest as Trachinus. 



Genus. PERCOPHIS. Cleft of mouth horizontal, lower jaw 

 projecting. Dorsals two, ventrals under throat. Palatine 

 teeth, canines strong. Brazil. 



Family. SCI^ENID/E. Body compressed and long. 

 Scales ctenoid. Lateral line continuous. Branchiostegals 

 seven. Teeth in bands, none on palate ; no cutting teeth or 

 molars. Two dorsals, the soft one more developed than the 

 spinous or the anal ; and two-spined. Pectoral rays branched. 



Genus. POCONIAS. Chin with many small barbels. North 

 America. 



Genus. EQUES. No barbels. Dorsal and tail fins scaly, 

 first dorsal much elevated. Atlantic. 



Genus. SCI^NA. No barbels. Dorsal not scaly. Upper 

 jaw equal to or larger than lower. Anal spines weak. Many 

 seas. 



Genus. CORVINA. No barbels. Anal spines strong. Rest 

 as Sciaena. Mediterranean. 



Genus. OTOLITHUS. No barbels. Lower jaw longest. 

 Canines conical. North America. 



Family. POLYN EM I~DM Lateral line continuous, ex- 

 tends along tail. Mouth under snout. Branchiostegals seven. 

 Dorsals two ; second dorsal, anal, and tail-fin covered with 

 minute scales. Several thread-like appendages below pectorals. 

 Ventrals under breast, one spine, five rays. 



Genus. POLYNEMUS. Teeth on vomer; anal fin equals soft 

 dorsal. Tropical seas. 



Family. SPHYR-^ENID^E. Scales small and cycloid. 

 Mouth wide, teeth strong. Branchiostegals seven. Two 

 dorsals ; ventrals on abdomen. 



Genus. SpHYRvBNA. As family. Temperate and tropical 

 seas. 



Family. TRICHIURID^E. Body long and compressed. 

 Both portions of dorsal and anal very long and with many rays. 

 Tail often with finlets. 



Genus. LEPIDOPUS. Ventrals wanting or very small. One 

 j dorsal ; tail-fin distinct. Mediterranean, etc. 



Genus. TRICHIURUS. Tail tapering, without a fin. At- 

 lantic. 



Genus. THYRSITES. Two to six finlets. Teeth in palate. 

 South Africa, Australia. 



Family. SCOMBERIDvE Body naked or scaled. Spin- 

 ous part of dorsal less developed than soft or anal, sometimes 

 wanting. Soft dorsal and anal often divided into finlets. 



Sub-family. SCOMBERINA. Spinous portion of dorsal sep- 

 arate. Body oblong, naked, or with very small scales. 



Genus. SCOMBER. Finlets five or six. Scales equal over 

 body. Many seas. 



Genus. THYNNUS. Finlets six to nine. Scales of breast 

 forming a corslet. Tail keeled on each side. Teeth on vomer 

 and palate. Mediterranean, Atlantic, etc. 



Genus. PELAMYS. Finlets seven to nine. Teeth on palate, 

 not on vomer. Mediterranean, Atlantic. 



Genus. Auxis. Finlets seven to nine. No teeth on palate. 

 Mediterranean, etc. 



Genus. NAUCRATES. Finlets none. First dorsal only a 

 a few free spines. Tail keeled. Many seas. 



Genus. ECHE.VEIS. Spinous dorsal transformed into suck- 

 ing disc on head. Many warm seas. 



Sub-family. CYTTINA. Dorsal divided, spinous part less 

 developed than the soft. Body very deep, scaled or shielded. 



Genus. ZEUS. Bony plates along bases of dorsal and anal 

 fins. Many seas. 



Sub-family. CORYPH^ENID^E. One long dorsal. No teeth 

 in gullet. 



Genus. CoRVPHjENA. Ventrals under thorax. Dorsal 

 long, beginning on head. Scales very small. Warm seas. 



Genus. PTERACLIS. Ventrals under throat, with four rays. 

 Dorsal beginning on forehead. Warmer seas. 



Genus. LAMPRIS. Ventral fins with many rays. Temper- 

 ate seas. 



Family. CARANGID^E. Separated from the preceding 

 family on account of the number of vertebrae, which are ten in 

 the abdomen and fourteen in the tail, those of the Scomberidae 

 exceeding that number. 



Sub-family. CARANGINA. The soft dorsal fin and anal of 

 nearly eq ,ol extent. 



Genus. TRACHURUS. Lateral line covered with shields. 

 Many seas. 



Genus. CARANX. Lateral line partly smooth. Prasoper- 

 eulutn toothed. Many seas. 



Family. XIPHID^E. Body rather long. Teeth none, or 

 minute. Upper jaw long and sword-shaped. Ventrals absent 

 or rudimentary. Branchiostegals seven. 



Genus. XIPHIAS. Ventral fins wanting. Warm seas. 

 Genus. HISTIOPHORUS. Ventral fins present. Warm seas. 



Family. GOBID^E. Body long. Teeth mostly small. 

 Spinous portion of dorsal flexible and less developed than soft 

 part. Anal as soft dorsal. Ventrals with one spine and five 

 rays, sometimes united into a disc. 



Subfamily. 

 dorsals. 



GOBUNA. Ventrals united into a disc. Two 



Bodj 



Genus. GOBIUS. Ventrals not adherent to abdomen, 

 scaled. Teeth conical and fixed. Many seas. 



Sub-family. CALLIONYMINA. Ventrals separate. Two 

 dorsals. 



Genus. CALLIONYMUS. One small gill opening on either 

 side. Prasoperculum armed. No single ventral ray. 



Family. DISCOBOLI. Body thick, surface naked or 

 with tubercles. Teeth small. Ventrals with one spine and 

 five small rays surrounded by fleshy disc. 



Sub-family. CYCLOPTERINA. Two dorsals. Twelve ab- 

 dominal, sixteen tail vertebras. 



Genus. CYCLOPTERUS. As sub-family. Temperate seas. 



Sub-family. LIPARIDINA. One dorsal. Twelve abdom- 

 inal, thirty tail vertebrae. 



Genus. LIPARIS: As sub-family. Temperate seas. 



Family. BATRACHID^E. Body short and wide. Teeth 

 conical and small. Spinous dorsal very short, soft, and anal 

 long. Ventrals under throat. 



