94 ELOPIFORM FISHES 



Suborder ALBULOIDEI Greenwood et al., 1966 



Diagnosis. Elopiform fishes in which the cranium is shallow and broad at the 

 occiput. Sensory canals developed as a cavernous system, incompletely covered 

 by bone. Ethmoid commissure complete or, more usually, incomplete. Post- 

 temporal fossa small, directed antero-medially. Sub-epiotic fossa well developed. 

 Dilatator fossa narrow, always with a roof. Autosphenotic spine and epiotic process 

 weakly developed. Intercalar small, prootic-intercalar bridge absent. Bulla 

 containing the sacculith large. Otophysic connection absent. Lateral ethmoid 

 in contact with the parasphenoid. Ectopterygoid process well developed. Quad- 

 rate/mandibular articulation beneath orbit or lateral ethmoid. Premaxilla forming 

 at least one-third of the upper jaw margin. Mandible with prominent coronoid 

 process, shallow symphysis and a strongly inflected ventral margin. Supratemporal 

 small, not meeting its partner in the mid-line. Caudal skeleton with six hypurals. 

 Scales with dense covering of tubercles in the anterior field. 



Family OSMEROIDIDAE nov. 



Diagnosis. Albuloid fishes in which the snout is not elongated ; the mouth is 

 terminal and the ethmoid commissure is complete. Supraorbital sensory canal 

 with a branch running into the parietal. Sub-epiotic fossae demarcated medially 

 by a pronounced ridge. First vertebral centrum incorporated in the neurocranium. 

 Parasphenoid, vomer, dermopalatine, endopterygoid and ectopterygoid with a 

 dense covering of small villiform teeth. Basibranchial and basihyal plates with 

 similar teeth. Supraorbital large. Posterior infraorbitals broad, completely 

 covering the cheek region. Premaxilla without contained sensory canal (in those 

 forms in which the premaxilla is known) . Premaxilla and maxilla moving together, 

 both elements bearing a band of villiform teeth. Two supramaxillae. Mandible 

 with coronoid process situated posteriorly ; articular and endosteal articular ossified 

 separately. Branchiostegals more than 14 in number. Gular plate large. Dorsal 

 and anal fins short-based. Caudal skeleton in which the second preural neural arch 

 bears a half length neural spine. Three uroneurals. Inner caudal rays of each 

 lobe with expanded bases which overlap the hypurals. Caudal scute present both 

 above and below peduncle. 



Genus OSMEROIDES Agassiz, 1837 



1837 Osmeroides Agassiz : 5, pis. 60b, c. 



1863 Rhabdolepis Marck : 26. 



1868 Holcolepis Marck : 278 (in part). 



Diagnosis. Dermal bones of the cranium stout and heavy, the flat cranial roof 

 with a large dermethmoid. Neurocranium with deep dilatator fossa roofed by ptero- 

 tic ; intercalar reduced to a knob-like protuberance. Parasphenoid stout, connect- 

 ing (sometimes by suture) with the lateral ethmoid, and, like the pterygoid bones, 

 bearing a large patch of small, villiform teeth set in shallow sockets. Jaw articula- 

 tion beneath the middle of the orbit. Upper jaw with premaxilla forming about 



