THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 235 



Sub-Order PERCOMORPHI. 



The Perch Like Fishes. 

 Key to the Families. 



a. (Scombroidei.) Caudal peduncle slender, usually with a widely forked 

 caudal. 



b. Last dorsal and anal rays as series of finlets. scombrid^ 



bb. No finlets. 



c. No caudal; body band-shaped. trichiurid^ 



cc. Caudal present ; body not band-shaped. 



d. Snout produced in a sword. , xiphiid^ 



dd. Snout not produced. 

 e. A spinous dorsal. 



/. (Esophagus without tooth-like processes. 



g. Dorsal spines connected by membrane, sometimes ob- 

 solete with age; body short to orbicular. 

 h. Scales minute or obsolete, cycloid, those along 

 lateral line sometimes armed ; tail deeply forked. 



CARANGID^ 



hh. Scales moderate or weakly ciliate, never armed 

 along lateral line ; tail not deeply forked. 



POMATOMID^ 



gg. Several free dorsal spines; body elongate; scales 

 small; caudal little forked. rachycentrid^ 



ff. (Esophagus armed with tooth-like processes. 



i. Spinous dorsal and ventrals rudimentary or 

 absent. stromateid^ 



n. Spinous dorsal and ventrals present. 



CENTROLOPHID^ 



ee. No spinous dorsal, all rays branched and articulate. 



CORYPH^NID^ 



aa. (Percoidea.) Caudal peduncle deep, usually with short obtuse caudal. 

 /. Vent anterior, or at throat in adult. aphrEdoderid^ 



//. Vent posterior, as usual in most fishes. 



k. Maxillary not sheathed by preorbital, or only covered by edge of 

 latter; accessory ventral scale small or wanting; opercle usually 

 ending in a spine. 



/. Precaudal vertebrae with transverse processes from third to 

 fourth tO' last; ribs all but last i to 4 sessile, inserted on centra 

 behind transverse processes ; anal spines III or more ; pseudo- 

 branchiae rudimentary, covered by skin. cenTrarchid^ 

 //. Precaudal anteriorly without transverse processes ; all or most 

 of ribs inserted on transverse processes when these are de- 

 veloped. 



