60 



CLASSIFICATION OF FISHES. 



Fterois, 3. Tcenionotus, 4. Sebastes, and 5. Scorptjena, 

 the latter being united to Apistes, by such fish as the 

 Apistcs rnarmorata of Cuv. The union of the t"V70 ex- 

 tremities of this series is absolutely so perfect_, that it is 

 only by attending to the most refined characters, we can 

 determine where one ends, and the other begins. 



(62.) The genus Triclwdon {fig. 12.), "or that of 

 Sehastes, is one of the types of this series : both are 



distinguished from aU the Macrolepes by its pec- 

 toral fins ; and this gives us an opportunity of stating 

 another peculiarity of the entire family, we had almost 

 omitted, in the multiplicity of others, to mention. In 

 the whole of the Scorpcenidtx, the pectoral fins are ex- 

 cessively broad at their base ; and, at their inferior part, 

 make a considerable advance towards the throat. By this 

 singular formation, unknown in any other tribe, except 

 the typical Plectognatlies or ChironectidcE, the ventrals 

 are thrown backward, so that they are almost invariably 

 placed behind the pectorals. Something of the same 

 character is also continued onward to the next tribe of 

 the blennies ; but then the situation of the ventrals is 

 reversed, and they are considerably in advance of the 

 pectorals : this and other essential diflFerences renders 

 Uranoscopus and Trachurus merely analogical to Tem- 

 nodon, and was doubtless the chief reason of Cuvier's 

 excluding them from our present gTOup. 



{QS.) Referring the ichthyologist to the series of 

 affinity, as detailed in their specific characters, by which 

 the ^Qnevsi Apistes, Pterois, T(Bnianotus, Trichodon, and 

 Scorpcena are mutually connected, and thus demonstrated 

 to be a perfect circular group, we shall now show its 

 analogical relations to the other divisions of the family, 

 and to those of the Triglidce. 



