CATAPHEACTI. 481 



SiPHAGONUS. — With the snout produced into a long tube 

 like a Syngnathus ; chin prominent, with a barbel. 

 From Bebring's Strait and Japan. 



Peristethus. — Head parallelopiped, with the upper surface 

 and the sides entirely bony ; each prseorbital prolonged into a long 

 flat process, projecting beyond the snout. Body cuirassed with 

 large bony plates. One continuous dorsal, or two dorsals, of which 

 the second is the more developed. Two free pectoral appendages. 

 Teeth none ; lower jaw with barbels. 



Singularly shaped fishes, of rather small size, from the 

 Mediterranean, the warmer parts of the Atlantic, and the 

 Indian Ocean ; of the ten species known one species only has 

 been found in the Pacific, near the Sandwich Islands. The 

 European species is P. cataphractum. They are not common, 

 and probably inhabit greater depths than the Gurnards, with 

 which they have much in common as regards their habits. 



Dactylopterus. — Head parallelopiped, with the upper surface 

 and the sides entirely bony ; scapula and angle of the prseoper- 

 culum produced into long spines. Body with strongly keeled 

 scales of moderate size ; lateral line none. Two dorsal fins, 



Fig. 216. — Dactylopterus volitans. 



the second not much longer than the first ; pectoral very long, 

 an organ of flying, with the upper portion detached and shorter. 

 Granular teeth in the jaws ; none on the palate. Air-bladder 

 divided into two lateral halves, each with a larger muscle. 



2l 



