ZElD-a:. CENTRONOTINiC. 



243 



Chirostoma jS'w. (JigM'J') Snout slightly produced; teeth 

 small ; body oblong ; 

 first dorsal fin small^ 

 placed over the vent. 



A. Humboldtiana. Cuv. 

 and Val. pi. 306.* (fig. 

 67.) 



Atherina Linn, (^fig.68.) 



Snout very obtuse ; 



the mouth opening 



nearly vertically ; eyes 



very large^ close to^ the 



snout ; first dorsal 



placed between the 



ventralandthe analfins. 

 A. hepselus Zznra. Cuv. pi. 302. (fig. 68.) A. Boieri. pi. 



303. 



4. SuBFAM. CENTRONOTIN^. 

 Body lengthened or oblong ; spines in front of the dor- 

 sal ; ventral fins perfect ; scales generally very small. 



El AGATE Cuv. Body lengthened^ slender; mouth wide; 

 lower jaw the longest ; dorsal and anal fins opposite 

 the former, preceded by a row of acute spines or 

 prickles_, representing the first dorsal; lateral hne 

 smooth, sinuated. 



Ekicate Cmy. Body lengthened ; scales very minute; dor- 

 sal and anal fins long, with several detached spines 

 in front of the former ; head lengthened, depressed ; 

 mouth wide; lower jaw longest; eyes behind the 

 gape ; pectoral and caudal large ; ventral small ; tail 

 not carinated ; lateral line undulated ; three first rays 

 of the anal spinous, but without any detached spines. 

 E. Atlantica. Cuv. pi. 233. 



Meladerma Sw. General structure of Elacate, but the 

 under jaw is shorter than the upper. 



M. nigerrima. Russ. pi. 153. (Pedda. motfah.^ 



* This type seems to me to connect Sphyrcsna with Atherina, as it pos- 

 sesses some of the characters of both. 



R 2 



