The Squamipinnes 
612 
thickened and the skull otherwise modified. A very similar 
species, Chetodipterus zonatus, occurs on the west coast of 
Species allied to Chetodipterus are fossil in the Italian 
Mexico. 
The Drepanide of the East Indies are close to the 
hide. Drepane punctata is a large, deep-bodied fish resem- 
bling the spadefish but with larger scales. 
Eocene. 
arc 
Virginia. 
The Platacide.—Closely related to the Ilarchide is also the 
506.—Spadefish, Cheetodipterus faber (L.). 
East Indian family of Platacide 
Fia. 
, remarkable for the very great 
depth and compression of the body, 
long, and the highly elevated dors 
size this peculiarity of form. 
which is much deeper than 
al and anal still further empha- 
In this 
group the few dorsal 
spines are closely attached to the soft rays and the general 
color is dusky. 
is deeper than in the 
In the young the body 
known species is the tsuzume or batfish (Platax orbicularis), 
which ranges from India through the warm current to northern 
adult and the ventral fins much more produced. The best- 
Japan. Platax teira, farther south, is very similar. 
Platax 
