ACTINOPTERI. 183 



Formation and locality. Known from the Miocene marl 

 [Kirkwood, K.] near Shiloh in Cumberland County. Not seen 

 by me. 



Sub-Order PHARYNGOGNATHI. 



THE LABROID FISHES. 



Nostrils double. Gills 3^2, without slit after last. Lower 

 pharyngeals fully united. Scales weakly ctenoid or cycloid. 

 Dorsal and anal fin spines not very strong. Ventrals thoracic, 

 each with one spine and three rays. Otherwise not differing much 

 from the Percoidea. 



The existing forms are mostly large tropical fishes, with bright 

 colors and strong- dentition. About four families are admitted. 



*& 



Family LABRID^. 



THE WRASSE FISHES. 



Body oblong or elongate. Mouth moderate, terminal. Pre- 

 maxillaries protractile. Maxillaries without supplemental bone, 

 slipping under membranaceous preorbital edge. Front teeth 

 usually very strong, canine-like. Jaw teeth separate or soldered 

 together at base, not forming continuous plate. No vomerine or 

 palatine teeth. Lips thick, longitudinally plicate. Nostrils round, 

 with two openings on each side. Gill-membranes somewhat con- 

 nected, sometimes joined to narrow isthmus. Gills 3^4, slit after 

 last arch, small or obsolete. Pseudobranchise well developed. 

 Branchiostegals 5 or 6. Lower pharyngeals completely united 

 into one bone, without median suture, this bone T-shaped or 

 Y-shaped, its teeth conical or tubercular. Air-vessel present. 

 Xo pyloric cceca. Body covered with cycloid scales. Lateral line 

 well developed, continuous or interrupted, often angularly bent. 

 Dorsal fin continuous, spinous portion usually long, spines rather 

 slender, 3 to 20. Anal like rayed dorsal, spines 2 to 6. Ven- 

 trals thoracic, I, 5, inserted below pectorals, latter sometimes 

 thoracic. 



