THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 201 



Isle City, Beesley's Point and Atlantic City. They seem most 

 abundant in the salt ponds. Mr. Viereck reports that the spawn- 

 ino- habits of this fish are similar to those as described under Fun- 

 duliis heteroclitus macrolepidotus. It reaches a length of fully 3 

 inches. 



Cyprinodon variegatus Abbott, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 820. — 

 Bean, Bull, U. S. E. Com., VII, 1887, p. 148.— Moore, Bull. U. 

 S. F. Com., XII, 1892, p. 359. 



Cyprinodon oviniis Baird, 9th An. Rep. Smiths. Inst., 1854, p. 

 345. 



Order ACANTHOPTERI. 



The Spiny Rayed Fishes. 



This order includes the vast majority of recent fishes. Many 

 of the so-called sub-orders given below are as yet imperfectly 

 understood and the accompanying key at best is provisional. 



Key to the sub-orders. 



n. Ventrals abdominal or thoracic. 



h. Cranium not twisted so that both eyes of the adult are on same side 

 of head. 



c. Spinous dorsal not modified into a lamellated sucking-disk on top 

 of head. 

 d. Ventral rays graduated from outer which are longest, and 

 inner shortest. 



e. Ventrals abdominal. 



/. No spinous fins; losver pharyngeals co-ossified; lateral 

 line on side of abdomen ; air-vessel without duct in 



adult. SYNENTOGNATHI 



ff. A separate spinous dorsal and other fins with spines ; 

 lower pharyngeals not co-ossified ; lateral line median 

 or obsolete. pERCESoces 



ee. Ventrals sub-abdominal when present. 



g. Gills normal ; body naked or sometimes with bony 

 lateral shields. hemibranchii 



gg. Gills tufted; skin covered with bony plates. 



LOPHOBRANCHII 



eee. Ventrals thoracic when present. 



h. Suborbital without bony stay back from sub- 

 orbital ring to or toward preopercle. 

 i. Post-temporal slender, divided at tip and 

 not co-ossified with skull. 



