SCLENOIDE^E. 61 



SCI/ENOIDE^:. 



The members of this family have almost all the external characteristics of the 

 Percoideae : the spiny or denticulated operculum : the toothed or armed preoper- 

 culum : the double, deeply-notched, or single dorsal : the scaly body ; and even 

 the divisions of the family Avhich spring from the various combinations of these 

 characters are but repetitions of those into which the Percoideae are distributed, 

 The distinctive character of the Sci<znoidece is the total absence of vomerine and 

 palatine teeth. Moreover, the cavernous structure of the cranium, and arched 

 form of the head, and especially of the nose, give a peculiar physiognomy to the 

 fish of this family, which is rarely observed in the Percoideae : the scales, also, are 

 less rough, and extend more generally over the head and vertical fins : but these 

 latter characters are not so essential as the perfectly toothless palate, and are, 

 indeed, mostly present in the percoid genus Polynemus. The Sciaenoideae have 

 much resemblance to the Percoideae in their internal structure, also, though their 

 air-bladders exhibit a greater variety of forms, being in many species complicated 

 with hornlike processes, or branched or fringed appendages, which Cuvier thinks 

 have some connexion with the grunting noises that the Sciaenoideae emit in a more 

 remarkable degree than even the gurnards. The Sciaenoideae are numerous, have 

 similar habits to the Percoideae, and are equally useful to man, almost all of them 

 furnishing a wholesome food, and many being remarkable for their exquisite 

 flavour. 



Cuvier divides the Sciaenoideae into two series, the first of which is characterised 

 by a double or divided dorsal. The Maigre (Scicena), Corvina, and Umbrina, 

 three Mediterranean fish, are types of the principal genera of this series : several 

 smaller genera are associated with them ; and all have the cranium heightened by 

 salient portions, the lower jaw pitted with conspicuous pores, the soft dorsal pro- 

 portionably long, the anal, on the contrary, very short, the preoperculum denticu- 

 lated, at least in the younger individuals *, the bony operculum terminated by two 

 flat points and seven branchiostegous rays ; in short, they have a close resemblance 

 to the perches, except that their palates are quite smooth. Moreover, their dorsal 



* This must be understood with some latitude, for Nebris and Eleginus, of this series, have the preoperculum smunth, 

 -jr, as Cuvier says of that of the latter, " tres entxer" In the second series, Glyphisodon, Etroplus, and Heliases. also want 

 ■ienticulations on the preoperculum. 



