88 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE ^lUSEUM. 



Family PSALLISOSTOMATID^. 



The Gar Pikes. 



Body elongate, subcylindrical. Jaws more or less elongate, 

 spatulate or beak-like, and upper projecting beyond lower. Eyes 

 small. Premaxillary forming most of margin of upper jaw. 

 Maxillary transversely divided into several pieces. Lower jaw 

 composed of as many pieces as in reptiles, and coronoid present. 

 Both jaws with an outer series of small teeth followed by i or 2 

 series of large teeth, besides which on jaws, vomer and pala- 

 tines, are series of small close-set rasp-like teeth. Large teeth 

 of jaws conical in form, pointed and striate, and placed at right 

 angles to jaw. These teeth resting in a rather deep furrow pro- 

 tected on outside by raised border of -jaw% and on inside by a 

 ridge of .same nature. They are pierced in center by a foramen 

 which communicates with maxillary canal and through which 

 nerves and blood-vessel enter pulp cavity of tooth. Forms of 

 folded layers of dentine withtn teeth are peculiar. Pharyngeals 

 with rasp-like teeth. Tongue toothless, short, broad, emarginate, 

 set free at tip. Nostrils near end of upper jaw. Gill-membranes 

 somewhat connected, free from isthmus. Gills 4, a slit behind 

 fourth. Gill-rakers very short. Pseudobranchise present. 

 Branchiostegals 3. An accessory gill on inner side of opercle. 

 Air-vessel cellular, lung-like, somewhat functional. Stomach not 

 coecal. Pyloric appendages numerous. Spiral valve of intestines 

 rudimentary. Body covered with hard rhombic ganoid scales or 

 plates, which are imbricated in oblique series running downward 

 and backward. External bones of skull very hard and rugose. 

 Fins with fulcra. Dorsal fin short, rather high, posterior and 

 nearly opposite anal which is similar in form. Tail heterocercal, 

 in young produced as a filament beyond caudal. Caudal convex. 

 Pectorals and ventrals moderate, few-rayed, and latter nearly 

 midway between former and anal. 



Large fishes chiefly of the fresh waters of North America. 

 They are very voracious and therefore distructive to smaller 

 fishes. Not of value as food on account of their rank and tough 

 flesh. In habits sluggish. A single species has been taken in the 

 Delaware tide-water. 



