248 CLASSIFICATION OF FISHES^ ETC.. 



soft, with minute scales ; head large ; dorsal fins 

 two, distinct, the hinder long, and with those of the 

 anal having the rays wide apart and much branched ; 

 . caudal lunate ; no isolated spines on the back, except 

 sometimes a recumbent one before the first dorsal. 



Micropteryoc Agass. Lateral Kne arched before, straight 

 behind, elevated, but smooth ; body broad, but the 

 extremities narrowed ; pectoral fin very long and 

 falcated; jaws protractile; head small; mouth open- 

 ing rather vertically, lower jaw longest, both rough, 

 but without visible teeth ; first dorsal grooved ;• se- 

 cond dorsal and anal with a transparent fleshy sheath at 

 their base ; before the anal two short connected spines ; 

 ventrals small, beneath the pectoral, vent close to the 

 head ; scales very smalL 

 M. Cosmopolitana. Cuv. 250. Spin, and Agass. pi. 59. 



Alepes Sw. General form of the last in the head and 

 body, but entirely destitute of scales, except those 

 on the hinder part of the lateral line adjoining the 

 caudal fin ; teeth minute ; dorsal fins two, the first 

 higher than the second; and this latter has all the 

 rays nearly equal ; pectoral large and falcate. 

 A. melanoptera. Sw. Russel. pi. 155. (Evori. Parah. ) 



Zonichthys Sw. General form of Alepes ; but the lower 

 jaw is longest, the head thicker, and the whole fish 

 more oval, and covered with small scales ; dorsal fins 

 two, the first lower than the second; ventral fin 

 larger than the pectoral ; no incumbent spine on the 

 back, but two spines behind the vent; pectoral 

 small, sub-falcate ; lateral line arched before, but 

 slightly, if at all, loricated at the tail; jaws and 

 palate with prickly teeth ; branchial membrane six- 

 rayed ; teeth minute. 

 Z. fasciatus. Bloch, pi. 341.* subcarinata. Russ. pi. 149. 



* Cuvier refers this fish to the genus Seriola, but it has no incumbent 

 spine in front of the dorsal, and it seems to me, judging from Bloch 's figure, 

 to have more the characters of Caranx: the species here 'referred to, and 

 figured by Russell, appears to connect Bloch 's fish with the more typical 

 examples of Caranx j and both may possibly be allied in affinity to Forth, 

 metis. 



