90 



ACANTIIOPTEEYGII. 



1. (.'ENTRARCHIDJi, p. 91. 



2. Naxdid.e, p. 99. 



3. Serranid^e, p. 101. 



5. SCORPIDID.E, p. 119. 



4. SciiENID.E, p. IIS. 



G. Pristipomatid-e, p 



125. 



a. Rays of the caudal fin not strongly forked at the base ; dorsal fin with 



pungent spines. (Perciformes.) 

 a. Two nostrils on each side. 

 * Palate toothed. 

 No subocular shelf f ; entopterygoid present ; soft 

 portion of dorsal fin not more developed than 

 that of anal ; latter with 3 spines or more . . 

 No subocular shelf; no entopterygoid ; soft portion 

 of dorsal fin not more developed than that of 

 anal; latter with 3 spines or more .... 

 A subocular shelf ; entopterygoid present ; soft 

 portion of dorsal fin usually not much more 

 developed than anal ; latter with 3 spines . . 

 A subocular shelf; entopterygoid present; dorsal 

 and anal fins thickly scaled, latter with 3 spines. 



** Palate toothless. 



A subocular shelf ; anal fin very much shorter than 

 the soft dorsal and with 1 or 2 spines . . 



No subocular shelf ; anal fin as long as or shorter 

 than the soft dorsal and with 3 spines 



A subocular shelf ; anal fin not much shorter than 

 the soft dorsal and with 3 spines ; teeth in the 

 jaws usually either cutting in front or molar- 

 like on the sides 7. Sparid^e, p. 132. 



/3. A single nostril on each side ; palate toothless. 

 No subocular shelf ; lower pharyngeal bones united; 



anal fin with 3 spines or more 8. Cichltd^;, p. 133. 



b. Pays of the caudal fin strongly forked at the base, embracing a 



considerable portion of the hypural. (Scoaibriformes.) 

 Dorsal spines few, or slender or rudimentary ; 

 usually a pair of anal spines separated from the 

 rest of the fin 9. Caraxgh^e t. 



2. Ventral fins with one spine and 6 to 8 soft rays, or with 5 to 7 soft rays 



and no spine ; scapula and coracoid large. (Zkorhojibi.) 

 Head asymmetrical, the skull twisted in front, with 



the two orbits on one side ; fins without spines. 10. Plf.uronectid^;. 



3. Ventral fins with one feeble spine and 4 or 5 soft rays, or united ; scapula 



aud coracoid more or less reduced or even vestigial. (Gobiiformes.) 

 Anterior part of dorsal fin composed of a few feeble, 



flexible spines 11. Gobiid.e. 



•f Inward process of the suborbitals supporting the eye. 



t This and the following families will be dealt with in the Fourth Volume. 



