THE FISHES OF NEW JERSEY. 399 



portion of head, with vertical rings. Mouth vertical, with strong 

 and prominent mandible. Premaxilliaries freely protractile. 

 Maxillary broad, without supplemental bones, not slipping under 

 preorbital. Teeth moderate on jaws, vomer and palatines. Gill- 

 openings wide, continued forward. Gill-membranes nearly sepa- 

 rate, free from isthmus. Gills 3J^, a slit behind last. Pseudo- 

 branchiae present. Branchiostegals 6. Air-vessel generally ab- 

 sent. Pyloric coeca in moderate number. Vertebrae 24 to 26. 

 Body either naked or covered with very small smooth adherent 

 scales which are arranged in very oblique series running down- 

 ward and backward. Scales on belly inconspicuous or obsolete. 

 Head covered with bony plates. Lateral line little developed, 

 running high. Spinous dorsal very short or wanting. Second 

 dorsal long. Anal and pectorals large, latter with broad oblique 

 bases, lower rays rapidly shortened and most of them branched. 

 Ventrals I, 5, jugular, close together, spine very short and innerr 

 most ray longest. Caudal not forked. 



Carnivorous fishes living on bottom of shores of most warm 

 regions. 



Genus Astroscopus Brevoort. 



Electric Star Gazers. 



Key to the genera. 



a. Naked space between forks of Y on top of head long and narrow, but 

 shorter than vertical limb of Y ; no distinct spines before eye; sides with 

 round pale spots, each with a dark ring. y-gr^cum 



aa. Naked space between forks of Y short and broad, but longer than very 

 short vertical limb of Y ; 2 distinct spines directed forward before eye; 

 sides with small pale spots, not dark-edged. guttatus 



Astroscopus y-graecum (Cuvier). 



Plate 91. 

 Star Gazer. 



Head 2^; depth 3; D. IV, 14; A. 13; width of head i^ in 

 its length ; depth of head i yi ; upper edge of pectoral i Yz ; sixth 

 dorsal ray 2^/5 ; eleventh anal ray 3^ ; caudal 1^/7; least depth of 

 caudal peduncle 3^; innermost ventral ray 2; interorbital space 



