642 TELEOSTEAN FISHES OF THE SUBORDER ALLOTRIOGNATHI. [JlUie 18, 



include fishes without spines in the ventral fins and with the 

 pelvic bones free fi-om the pectoral arch (i. e., Polymixia)j but all 

 the living members of the group (if we omit Steplmnoheryx, of 

 which the anatomy is unknown) have the dorsal and anal fins 

 preceded by spines. Except for this they are exactly fitted for 

 giving rise to the Allotriognathi, and there can be little doubt 

 that the latter had a Ber3"coid origin. 



The origin of the Berycoid fishes themselves is another question. 

 Smith Woodward and Boulenger place them at the base of the 

 Acanthopterygian series, and adduce the persistence of the pneu- 

 matic duct (in Holocentrum and Beryx), the large number of rays 

 in the ventral fins, and the abundance of the group in Cretaceous 

 times as evidence of their generalisation. More recently Starks 

 has shown that an orbitosphenoid bone is present in most Mala- 

 copterygii, all Ostaiiophysi and the Berj'ciformes, but not in the 

 Haplomi or othei- higher groups. 



I find that in most species of Myripristis (text-fig. 171 «) the 

 maxillary is toothed and enters the gape when the mouth is widely 

 opened, and that in the Polymixiidge, Berycidse, and Holocentridse 

 there are two supramaxillai'ies, which evidently correspond to 

 those of the Clupeoid Fishes. 



Text-fio-. 171. 



pma: 



smoc. 



moc. 



Ct. 



h 



a. Anterior part of \\e&A. oi Ilyripristis murdjan. 

 h. Upper jaw of Ctenothrissa radians (after Smitli Woodward)., 

 pmx., prsemaxillarj^ ; mx., maxillarj- ; smx., supramaxillaries. 



All these facts taken together lead me to believe that the 

 Beryciformes may have evolved directly from Malacopterygii 

 such as the Cretaceous Ctenothrissa. (text-fig. 171 6) and Psendo- 

 heryx^ to which they bear a considerable resemblance. 



A number of fishes have at times been associated with one or 

 other of the families of Allotriognathi, and some of these must 

 be discussed. 



