ORDER TELEOSTEI. IOI3 



Tertiaries have been described under the names of Sargodon, Sorici- 

 de?is, and As/ma. 



Family Ch/etodontid.e. — The Coral-fishes, or Chsetodonts, 

 differ from the Percoids in the greater vertical depth of the body, 

 by the continuation of the scales over the median fins, and also by 

 the lateral line stopping short of the caudal fin. Their teeth are 

 bristle-like. These marine tropical fishes (which are generally de- 

 scribed under the name of Squamipennes) are remarkable for the 

 extreme gorgeousness of their colouring, and are of comparatively 

 small size. They are represented in the Middle Eocene of Monte 

 Bolca by the existing genera Holacanthus, Pomacanthus, Ephippus, 

 Scatophagies, and Toxotes ; the latter being now confined to the 

 Oriental and Australian regions. The earliest Chsetodont is Platy- 

 cormus, of the Upper Cretaceous of Westphalia. 



Family Percid.^e. — With this and the next family of highly 

 specialised Fishes we come to the end of the existing representa- 

 tives of the present suborder. These Fishes are characterised by 

 the continuous lateral line (fig. 947), the general absence of scales 

 from the median fins, the conical teeth, and the absence of barbels. 

 They are all carnivorous, and inhabit the freshwaters and coasts of 



Fig. 947. — The Common Perch (PercaJIuviatilis). Reduced. 



all tropical and temperate regions. The existing genus Perca (Perch) 

 occurs in the Upper Miocene of CEningen ; while in the Upper 

 Eocene of Aix we have the allied but extinct Paraperca. In the 

 Middle Eocene of Monte Bolca, we find species referable to the 

 existing genera Labrax (Bass) ; Lates, now inhabiting the Nile and 

 Ganges ; Dicks, of the Indo-Pacific ; Serranus (Sea-Perch) ; Apogon, 

 of the Mediterranean and Atlantic ; and also Therapon, of the Indo- 

 Pacific. The extinct Cydopo?na and Smerdis (fig. 948) likewise 

 occur in the same deposits ; the latter being also found at Aix 

 and in the Miocene of Wiirtemberg. Acanus and Podocys, from 

 the Lower Eocene of Glarus, are members of this family, which 

 were formerly referred to the Berycidce. In the Eocene of North 

 America we have Mioplosus, presenting characters common to 



