THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 203 



Sub-Order SYNENTOGNATHI. 



The Synentognathous Fishes. 



They are allied to the Haplorni and the Percesoces and similarly 

 indicating transition from the soft-rayed to the spiny-rayed fishes. 



Key to the families. 



a. Both jaws produced in the adult; upper short in young. 



h. No finlets. mastaccembelid^ 



hh. Dorsal and anal with detached finlets. scombresocid.^ 



aa. Lower jaw only, if at all, produced. 



c. Lower jaw produced in the adult. hemiramphid^ 



cc. Lower jaw not produced. Exoccetid^ 



i 



Family MASTACCEMBELID^. . 



The Needle Fishes. 



Body elongate, A'ery slender, compressed or not. Both jaws 

 produced in a beak, lower jaw longer, very much longer in the 

 young. Maxillaries grown fast to premaxillaries. Each jaw 

 with a band of small sharp teeth, besides a series of longer wide- 

 set sharp conical teeth. Lower pharyngeals united to form a 

 long slender narrow plate with flat surface and covered with small 

 pointed teeth. Upper pharyngeals distinct, third pair little en- 

 larged, and each with some 15 moderate unequal pointed teeth. 

 Fourth pair well deA-eloped with similar teeth but without an- 

 terior processes. Air-vessel present. Vertebrae numerous with 

 zygopophyses. Ovary single. Body covered with small thin 

 scales. Lateral line very low, running as a fold along side of 

 belly. Dorsal fin opposite anal, both rather long. No finlets. 



Carnivorous fishes bearing a superficial resemblance to the 

 gar pikes and also like them very voracious. Found in all 

 warm seas and sometimes entering fresh- water. Their habits 

 are ordinarily much like those of the pike, but when startled 

 they swim along the surface of the water with extraordinary 



