90 ACANTIIOPTERYGII. 



a. Rays of the caudal fin not strongly forked at the base ; dorsal fin with 

 pungent spines. (Perciformes.) 

 a. Two nostrils on each side. 

 * Palate toothed. 

 No subocular shelf t ; entopterygoid present ; soft 

 portion of dorsal fin not more developed than 



that of anal ; latter with 3 spines or more . . 1. (hiNTRARCHiD.^, p. 91. 

 No subocular shelf ; no entopterygoid ; soft portion 

 of dorsal fin not more developed than that of 



anal; latter with 3 spines or more .... 2. Nandid^, p. 90. 

 A subocular shelf ; entopterygoid present ; soft 

 portion of dorsal fin usually not much more 



developed than anal ; latter with 3 spines . . 3. Serranid^, p. 101. 

 A subocular shelf; entopterygoid present; dorsal 



and anal fins thickly scaled, latter with 3 spines. 5. Scorpidid/e, p. 119. 



** Palate toothless. 



A subocular shelf ; anal fin very much shorter than 



the soft dorsal and with 1 or 2 spines ... 4. Sci^nid.e, p. 115. 



No subocular shelf ; anal fin as long as or shorter 



than the soft dorsal and with 3 spines . . . G. Pristipomatid^e, p. 125. 



A subocular shelf ; anal fin not much shorter than 

 the soft dorsal and with 3 spines ; teeth in the 

 jaws usually either cutting in front or molar- 

 like on the sides 7. Sparid^, p. 132. 



/3. A single nostril on each side ; palate toothless. 

 No subocular shelf ; lower pharyngeal bones united; 



anal fin with 3 spines or more 8. CichltDjE, p. 133. 



h. Rays of the caudal fin strongly forked at the base, embracing a 

 considerable portion of the hypural. (Scombriformes.) 

 Dorsal spines few, or slender or rudimentary ; 

 usually a pair of anal spines separated from the 

 rest of the fin 9. Carangid.e J. 



2. Ventral fins with one spine and 6 to 8 soft rays, or with 5 to 7 soft rays 



and no spine ; scapula and coracoid large. (Zkorhombi.) 

 Head asymmetrical, the skull twisted in front, with 



the two orbits on one side; fins without spines. 10. Pleironectid.^. 



3. Ventral fins with one feeble spine and 4 or 5 soft rays, or united ; scapula 



and coracoid more or less reduced or even vestigial. (Gobiiformes.) 

 Anterior part of dorsal fin composed of a few feeble, 



floxible spines 11. Oohiid.e. 



i Inward process of the suborbitals supporting tlie eye. 



i This and the folluwiii'j; families will be dealt with in the Fniitii A'dhuiie. 



