106 MANUAL OF NATUKAL HISTORY. 



crown elevated ; jaws convex, rounded, with 

 teeth arranged like scales on their edge and 

 anterior surface; scales at base of caudal very 

 large. 



4. Family. — Coracines (Chromididse). Body oval 



or elongate ; teeth setaceous, often minute, 

 and very fine ; operculum scaled ; pre-oper- 

 culum smooth ; ventrals very long. 



II. SUB-ORDER. — Soft-Finned Pharyngeal-Fishes 



(Malacopterygii). 



5. Family. — Saury-Pikes (Scomberesocidse). Body 



herring-shaped or elongate ; mouth obliquely 

 cleft ; teeth small, acute ; eyes large. 



X. ORDER — Soft-Finned Fishes (Malacopteri). 



Endo-skeleton ossified ; exo-skeleton in most as 

 cycloid, in a few as ganoid scales ; fins supported 

 by rays, all, save the first sometimes in the dorsal 

 and pectoral, soft or jointed ; abdominal or apodal ; 

 gills free ; operculate ; a swimming-bladder and air 

 duct. 



I. SUB-ORDER. — Abdominal Soft-Finned Fishes 

 (Abdoniinales). 



1. Family. — Mailed Sheat - Fishes (Loricariidaa). 



Body lengthened ; head and body mailed 

 with large osseous plates ; head depressed ; 

 eyes small; mouth beneath. (Goniodontes,Ag.) 



2. Family. — Naked Sheat -Fishes (Pimelodidae). 



Body compressed, more or less naked ; dorsal 

 fins two, the hinder adipose ; muzzle not pro- 

 duced ; anal fin short. 



