390 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Family, XLI— LABEID^, Cuv. 



Labroideieydoidd,Mu.ll.; Sca/roidei, Ca.n\ai ; Cyclolahridm, Owen. 



Branchiosteffals five or six : pseudobranchisB. Gills three and a half. Body oblong or elongated. 

 Teeth in the jaws, palate edentulous : lower pharyngeal bones anchylosed along the median line into one 

 without any median suture. A single dorsal fin with usually as many or more spines than rays : the anal 

 rays usually similar to those of the dorsal: ventral thoracic, with one spine and five rays. Scales cycloid. 

 Lateral-line complete or interrupted. Air-vessel present. No coecal sac to the stomach. Pyloric appendages 

 absent. 



These fishes appear to be entirely marine and mostly confined to the seas of tropical and temperate 

 regions. Many of them are adorned witli gorgeous colours, being generally abundant in the neighbourhood of 

 rocks and coral reefs. Some are provided with excessively strong teeth to enable them to crash the shells 

 of the marine molluscs, and a few have an additional pointed tooth at the angle of the mouth which is 

 supposed to be employed for pressing a shell against the crushing front and lateral teeth. 



SYNOPSIS OP GENERA. 



1. Gluerops. Cheeks elevated. Anterior teeth conical and free, the lateral ones more or less confluent 

 into a ridge. D. \%. Scales large, small ones on cheeks. Lateral-line continuous. Red Sea, through those 

 of India to Australia. 



2. Gossyphus. Anterior teeth conical and free : a posterior canine. Dorsal fin with twelve (rarely 

 thirteen) spines. Cheeks and opercles scaly, also base of soft dorsal. Lateral-line continuous. Red Sea, 

 throughout those of India to Australia and beyond. 



3. Labroides. Anterior teeth forming a pair of curved fangs in either jaw. Dorsal fin with niue spines. 

 Cheeks and opercles scaly. Lateral-liae continuous. Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



4. Gheilwms. Anterior teeth conical and free. Dorsal fin with nine or ten spines. Cheeks and opercles 

 scaly. Lateral-line interrupted. Red Sea, Bast coast of Africa, seas of India to Chiua and beyond. 



6. Upihulus. Lower jaw produced backwards. Anterior teeth conical and free. Dorsal fin with nine 

 spines. Cheeks and opercles scaly. Lateral-line interrupted. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



6. Anarmpses. Two compressed and cutting anterior teeth in either jaw. Dorsal fin with nine spines. 

 Head scaleless. Lateral-line continuous. Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



7. Hemigymnus. Anterior teeth free and conical. Dorsal fin with nine spines. Cheeks with a row of a 

 few small scales. Lateral-line continuous. Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



8. ^tethojulis. Anterior teeth conical and free : a posterior canine. Dorsal fin with nine spines. Head 

 scaleless. Scales on chest at least as large as those on the body. Lateral-line continuous. Red Sea, seas of 

 India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



9. Plaiyglossus. Anterior teeth conical and neither bent backwards nor outwards : a posterior canine. 

 Dorsal fin with nine spines. Head scaleless. Scales on chest smaller than those on the body. Lateral-line 

 continuous. Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



10. Novaaula. Anterior teeth conical and free : no posterior canine. Dorsal fin with nine spines, the 

 two first of which are sometimes semi-detached from the remainder. Head scaleless or with a few rudimentary 

 scales on the cheeks. Lateral-line interrupted. Seas of India, intertropical seas and beyond. 



11. Julis. Anterior teeth conical and free : no posterior canine. Dorsal fin with eight spines. Head 

 scaleless. Lateral-Hue continuous. Red Sea, seas of India, also tropical and adjacent'ones. 



12. Oomphosus. Snout produced. Anterior teeth conical and free : no posterior canine. Dorsal fin 

 with eight spines. Head scaleless. Lateral-line continuous. Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago 

 and beyond. 



13. Gheilio. Body elongated : anterior teeth conical and free : no posterior canine. Dorsal fin with 

 nine spines. Head scaleless, or a few scales on opercle. Lateral-line continuous. Red Sea, seas of India to 

 the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



14. Goris. Anterior teeth conical and free. Dorsal fin with nine spines. Scales small, none on the 

 bead. Lateral-line continuous. Red Sea, seas of India to Australia and beyond : also found in the 

 Mediterranean. 



16. Gymolutes. Anterior teeth conical and free : no posterior canine. Dorsal with nine spines. Scales 

 small, none on head. Lateral-line interrupted. East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



16. Pseudodax. Anterior teeth broad and with cutting lateral edges. Dorsal with eleven spines. 

 Scales of moderate size on cheeks and opercles. Lateral-line continuous. Ificobars to the Malay Archipelago 

 and beyond. 



