Ctenoid Acanxhopxebes. FISHES. Sclerogenids. 
the substance of the tail, compensating for the shortness 
of the body. The stomach is csecal; and there are 
from three to twelve pancreatic caeca, these organs 
being absent in one genus only. In many members of 
the family the tips of the rays of one or more fins are 
enveloped in thick, sensitive membrane. 
The genera are — Trachinus ; Percis ; Apkrites ; Sillago ; 
Eleginus ; Epicopus (Guichenot) ; Percopkis ; Bovichthgs ; 
Trichodon ; Ilelerostichus (Girard) ; Gadopsis (Richardson) ; 
Uranoscopus ; Agnus (Gunther) ; Anema (id.) ; Kathelosloma 
(id.) ; Le2)tuscopus (id.) ; Pinguipes ; and Latilus. 
Two species of Weevers [Trachinus) represent the 
family in the British seas. They are littoral fishes, 
frequenting flat, sandy coasts, and are capable of 
inflicting dangerous punctured wounds with their very 
sharp spines, which are vulgarly accounted to be 
venomous. Their Latin generic name is derived from 
the Italian Trascina, a corruption of Dracaena, mean- 
ing a dragon ; and their English one comes from the 
Anglo-Saxon Wivere, a serpent or wyvern. 
Family III. — SCLEROGENIDS [Sclerogenidce). 
Plate 7, figs. 36, 37. 
This group of fishes was characterized by Cuvier as 
consisting of fishes whose second sub-orbitar deflects 
from the inverted arch of the other sub-orbitars, to 
cross the cheek and abut against the hollow curve of 
the preoperculum. In the Gurnards this second sub- 
orbitar expands over the whole cheek, whence Cuvier 
named the group Joues Cuirassees a term which has 
had many Latin translations, as, Cataphracti, Caia- 
phractoridm, Scleropareii, Buccoiloricatce, and in 
English, Mailed cheeks. 
121 
The forms of the Sclerogenids are exceedingly 
variable, some of them being grotesque or even 
hideous, and thence recei\flng such names as Devil- 
fishes ; others are not less remarkable for elegance of 
form, and the splendour and beauty of their colours. 
Several of the genera have fewer than five rays in 
their ventrals, a departure from the normal number 
among the Acanthopteres. Many are fringed with 
cutaneous tags or filaments on the head, body, or fins ; 
and some genera of bottom-feeders have their inferior 
pectoral rays detached and resembling fingers, to serve 
as organs of touch. In some the scales are cycloid, 
in others spiniferous, and some Gurnards are clothed 
with a mixture of cycloid and spinous scales ; but 
many of the genera have well-marked ctenoid scales. 
The genera are — Trigla ; Lepidolrigla (Giinther) ; Prionotus ; 
Bembras ; Monocentrh ; Platycephalus ; Polycaulis (Gunther) ; 
Ptyonotus {id.) •, Artedius (id.)-, Hemilepidotus ; TWy/o^s (Rein- 
hardt) ; Icelus (Kro3’er) ; Centridermichthys (Richardson, or 
TVacAirfcmis, Heckel) ; Cottus; Phoheior [KxoyeP)-, Scorpenich- 
thys (Girard); Nautichthys (id.); Po(fa 6 ?us (Richardson); Chori- 
daclylus (id.) ; Pelor ; Minous ; Micropus (Gray or Car acan- 
thus, Kroyer) ; Synanceia ; Synancidium ; Ampkyprionichthys 
(Bleeker) ; Hemitripterus ; Sthenopus (Richardson or Tricho- 
pleura, Kaup) ; Aploactis (Schlegel) ; Prosopodasys (Cantor) ; 
Apistus; Enneapterygius (Riippell) ; Tetraroge (Gunther); 
Pentaroge (id.); Centropogon (id.); Taniaiiotus ; Pteroi- 
dichthys (Bleeker) ; Pterois ; Glyptauchen (Gunther) ; Gna- 
thanacanthus (Bleeker) ; Scorpcena ; Sebastes ; Aspidophorus 
or Agonus ; Aspidiphoroides (Lacdp.) ; Peristedion or Peri- 
stethus ; Dactylopterus ; Cephalacanthus ; Xystophorus (Rich- 
ardson) ; Chirus ; Stichwus ; Ophidian (Girard) ; Agrammus 
(id.) ; Zaniolepis (id.) ; Agriopus ; Centropus (Kner) ; and 
Gasterosteus. 
The genera that are most remarkable either for 
their ugliness or beauty live within the tropics. The 
British species are — the Red Gurnard, Rotchet, or« 
Fig. .SI. 
Saddlehead (Glyptaachen panduratus). 
Gaverick [Trigla cucidus) ; the Rock Gurnard [Tr. 
lineata) ; the Sapphirine Gurnard [Tr. hirundo) ; the 
Little Gurnard ( Tr. pceciloptera) ; the Piper ( Tr. lyra) ; 
Vo I, IT. 72 
the Grey Gurnard, Crooner, Girnat, Goukney, or Woof 
[Tr. gurnardus); Bloch’s Gurnard [Tr. hlochit) ; and 
the Long -finned Captain [Tr. luccrnd) ; all of which 
