Artificial Key to the Families of American Food and Game Fishes 



MM. Preopercle serrate; teeth unequal, some of them very strong. 



XXXIX, POMATOMID^, 320 

 LL. Anal fin not preceded by free spines. 

 N. Nostril single on each side; lateral line interrupted; lower pharyngeals 

 united. 



O. Anal spines 3 to 11. Fresh-water fishes LVIII, Cichlid^, 475 



NN. Nostril double on each side 



. Lateral line extending to tip of middle rays of caudal. 

 . Anal spines 3, the second strong. 

 P, Dorsal fins 2, separate; body elongate. . . .XLVII, Centropomid^, 368 



RR. Dorsal fin continuous LIT, H^mulid^, 420 



QQ. Anal spines i or 2, the second large or small. . . .LVI, Sci^nidjE, 454 

 PP. Lateral line not extending beyond base of caudal fin. 

 S. Gills 35, the slit behind the last very small or wanting. 

 T. Teeth in each side of each jaw united, forming a sort of beak. 



LX, ScARID.^, 480 

 TT. Teeth distinct or nearly so, the anterior usually more or less canine. 



LIX, Labrid^, 476 

 SS. Gills 4, a long slit behind the fourth. 



U . Teeth setiform, like the teeth of a brush; body elevated, longer than deep, 

 the soft fins completely scaled; gill-membranes attached to the 

 isthmus. 



V. Dorsal fin continuous LXIII, Ch.«todontid.«, 484 



VV. Dorsal fin divided LXII, Ilarchid^, 482 



UU. Teeth not setiform. 

 W . Premaxillaries excessively protractile, their basal process very long, in a 



groove at top of cranium LIV, Gerrid^, 445 



WW . Premaxillaries moderately protractile or not protractile. 



X. Lower pharyngeals united; scales large; anal fin with 3 spines and more 

 than 15 soft rays; preopercle entire. (Viviparous fishes of the 



Califomian fauna) LVII, Embiotocid^, 469 



XX. Lower pharyngeals separate. 



Y . Pseudobranchia2 wanting or covered by skin. 



Z. Dorsal fin of soft rays only, beginning as a crest on the head; caudal 



widely forked. Pelagic fishes XLI, Corypii^nid^, 324 



ZZ. Dorsal fin with spines anteriorly, not beginning on the head. Fresh- 

 water fishes. 



a. Anal spines 3 to 10 XLV, Centrarchid^, 332 



aa. Anal spines i or 2 ; body oblong or elongate ; length less than 8 inches. 



XLVI, Pepcids, 360 

 YY. Pseudobranchiffi developed. 



b. Spinous dorsal of 2 or 3 short spines only; anal without spines; scales 



small, smooth XLVIII, Serranid.^, 370 



fe'. Dorsal fin continuous, the spines few and slender.. LXIX, Latilid^, 504 

 hb^. Dorsal fin not as above 

 bb. Spinous dorsal, if present, not as above 



c. Perch-like fishes, the caudal peduncle not very slender, the scales well 



developed, ctenoid or cycloid; the dorsal with distinct spines; 

 the anal with at least i spine, its soft rays usually few. 



d. Maxillary not sheathed by the preorbital, or only partially covered by the 



edge of the latter; ventral with its accessory scale very small or 

 wanting; pectoral without accessory scale; sheath at base of 

 spinous dorsal little developed; vomer usually with teeth; opercle 

 usually ending in a spine. 



e. Anal spines 2 or i ; pseudobranchise small; preopercle with a hook-like 



spine below; vertebras increased in number (30 to 46). Fresh- 

 water fishes XLVI, Pepcid.*, 360 



ee. Anal spines 3, never 2 nor i ; dorsal fin continuous or divided; vertebra 24 

 to 35. 



543 



