THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 305 



rarely entire. Opercles usually ending in i or 2 flat spine-like 

 points. Skull without conical spines and usually without well- 

 developed cavernous structure. No suborbital stay. Post-tem- 

 poral normal. Second suborbital with an internal lamina sup- 

 porting globe of eye. Entopterygiod present. All or most of 

 ribs inserted on transverse processes when these are developed. 

 Anterior vertebrae without transverse processes. Gill-membranes 

 separate, free from isthmus. Gills 4, a long slit behind fourth. 

 Gill-rakers long or short, usually stiff, armed with teeth. Pseudo- 

 branchiae present, large. Branchiostegals normally 7, occasion- 

 ally 6. Lower pharyngeals rather narrow, with pointed teeth, 

 separate. Air-vessel present, usually small and adherent to wall 

 of abdomen. Stomach coecal, with few or many pyloric appen- 

 dages. Intestines short, as is usual with carnivorous fishes. Ver- 

 tebrae typically 10 + 14 = 24, number sometimes increased, never 

 more than 35. Body covered with adherent scales of moderate 

 or small size, which are usually but not always ctenoid. Cheeks 

 and opercles always scaly. Lateral line single, not extending on 

 ■cuadal fin. Dorsal spines usually stiff, II to XV in number. 

 Rayed dorsal with 10 to^ 30 rays. Anal fin rather short, its soft 

 rays 7 tO' 12, its spines if present always III, sometimes alto- 

 gether wanting. Pectoral well developed, with narrow base, rays 

 branched. Ventral I, 5, thoracic, normally developed and with- 

 out distinct axillary scale. Caudal fin variously formed. 



Carnivorous fishes, chiefly marine, and found inall warm seas. 



Key to the genera. 



a. MoRONiNiE. Dorsal fins 2. 



h. Dorsals separate; A. Ill, 12. roccus 



hh. Dorsals joined; A. Ill, 9. morone 



■aa. Dorsal fin single, sorrietimes deeply divided. 



c. EpinephElin^. a distinct supplemental maxillary. epinephELUS 

 cc. Serranin^. No supplemental maxillary. 



d. Smooth area on top of cranium very short and small. 



CENTROPRISTES 



dd. Smooth area on top of cranium very large, longer than low 

 supra-occipital crest, which is low and short. dules 



20 MU 



