CHARACINIDJ3. 
297 
he oesophagus by a duct in the adult (physostomous) ; optic nerves 
ecussating ; intestine without spiral valve ; reproductive organs 
Wl th efferent ducts. 
Synopsis of Families. 
Tiemaxilla and maxilla usually entering the 
upper border of the mouth ; teeth usually 
°n margin of jaws, and lower pharyngeals 
uot falciform ; sympleetic bone present ; no 
barbels ; adipose dorsal fin usually present ; 
scales, but no bony scutes Chahacinim: (p. 297). 
•'•-maxilla excluding maxilla from upper border 
of mouth ; jaws toothless, but lower phar- 
yngeals falciform and strongly toothed ; 
sympleetic bone present ; barbels frequent ; 
no adipose dorsal fin ; scales, but no bony 
scutes Cyprinidje (p. 299). 
Ihe maxilla almost always excluding maxilla 
from upper border of mouth; dentition 
very variable, but lower pharyngeals rarely 
falciform : no sympleetic bone ; barbels 
present; adipose dorsal fin usually pre- 
sent ; no scales, but often bony scutes .... SiLUitiDiE (p. 324). 
Family CHARACINIDiB. 
Supraoccipital bone prominent, but not completely separating the 
'veil-developed parietals in the median line; squamosal suturally 
united with parietals and completely covering the otic bones except 
chind ; cheek-plates usually well developed. Sympleetic bone 
present ; premaxilla small and maxilla relatively large, both entering 
, upper border of the mouth ; teeth variable, more or less acu- 
minate, chiefly on the preraaxilla, maxilla, and dentary bones; lower 
Pharyngeals not falciform. No barbels. Opercular apparatus com- 
P le te, but few branchiostegal rays. Pectoral arch with separate 
su praclavicle ; a single dorsal fin usually followed by a smal 
ad ipose dorsal on the tail. Trunk covered with scales, but no bony 
scutes. 
No extinct genera of this family arc known with certainty. Th e 
existing for ms are distributed in the freshwaters of tropical 
^-merica and Africa, attaining their maximum development in 
°uth America, where there are no Cyprinoids. 
The structure of the Characinoid skull is described by M. Sage- 
uiehl, ilorphol. Jahrb. vol. x. (1885), pp. 1-1 19 t pis- h, ii. 
