Ctenoid Acanthoptbres. FISHES. Apogonids. 
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Family VIII. — APOGONIDS {Apogonina, Giinther). 
In the method of Linnaeus the genus Perea included 
a very large part of all the Acanthopteres then known, 
and the group was not, in the condition of the 
ichthyology of that day, altogether unnatural ; but 
when additional species were discovered, and further 
subdivision became expedient, trenchant characters for 
the dismemberments could not be found. The Cuvieran 
families of Percoids and Scioenoids were intended to 
comprehend Acanthopteres without prolonged second 
suborbitars, but having their cranial bones or gill-covers 
serrated or spinous ; and these two families were dis- 
tinguished from each other chiefly by the presence or 
absence of teeth on the roof of the mouth ; though this 
character cannot be strictly adhered to, as in many 
species the vomerine teeth, and in some the palatine 
ones also, are deciduous. Dr. Gunther in his catalogue 
of the PercidiE {Perca:dce) in the British Museum, has 
made the Cuvieran family more nearly co-extensive 
with the Linnsean one, by scattering the members of 
the Sciaenoid group among the sub-families of the 
Ferccedee and their allies. In this elementary treatise 
some of Dr. Gunther’s minor groups are treated as 
separate families. 
The Apogonids are small or moderate-sized sea-fish, 
a few species only existing in fresh waters. Their 
scales are generally large and easily deciduous ; their 
bodies compressed and elevated; their mouths obliquely 
cleft, approaching to vertical; and their gill-plates 
toothed or spinous. They have most generally teeth 
on the palate-bones, and their branchiostegals are 
generally seven, but sometimes only six. The dorsals 
are two in number. 
The genera aie — Ambassis; Microickthgs (Uup'pe]\); Apogon; 
Aponichthys (Bleeker) ; Cheilodipterus ; Scombrops (Schlegel) ; 
Pomatomus; and Acropoma (Schlegel). 
These fish are of little economical importance. 
Some species of Amhassis inhabit hot springs. In 
Pondicherry the Selintan (A mhassis Commersonii) is 
given to sick people as an excellent article of diet. 
Family IX. — THERAPONIDS {Theraponidoe). 
Seven branchiostegals is the number of the typical 
Percoids. The Theraponids have seldom more than 
six — sometimes only four or five ; but in their general 
structure and external aspect they have much simi- 
larity to the common Perch. The scales are often 
ctenoid, but sometimes cycloid ; the opercular pieces 
are variously denticulate or spinous, or even unarmed. 
They have villiform teeth, often mixed with larger 
ones on the jaws, and villiform teeth also on the 
palatines and vomer, from which they in some cases 
disappear with age. The dorsals are two, or one only 
with the fore part spinous ; and the thoracic ventrals 
have one spine and five soft rays. The air-bladder 
is in some genera contracted in the middle. Distinct 
pseudobranchiae. No barbels. 
The genera are — Tiieraponina — Therapon; Helotes; 
Dalnia; Pelates; Macquaria; Priacanthus ; Loboies; Scolopsis; 
Heteroqnathodon (Bleeker); Pules; Badis (Bleeker); Arlina 
(Girard); Estrella (lA.'); Alvordius (\A.') ; Boleosoma (JDekay); 
Pileoma (id.); Lepisoma (id.); Paralabrax (Girard); and 
Polycenti'us (Muller). 
GiiYSTiNA( Giinther) — (GUnther); Grystes;Homodon 
or Arripis (Jenyns); Huro ; Percilia (Girard); Pomanotis 
(Giuchenot) ; Centrarchus ; Bryttus ; Pomotis ;Anoplus (Schlegel) ; 
and Odontonectes (Gunther). 
Both these groups are comprised in Dr, Gunther’s 
family of Pristipomidee. 
Many members of the second group, and some of 
the first, are inhabitants of the fresh waters of North 
America, Asia, or Australia. They are wholesome 
eating, but are not objects of special fisheries. The 
Trout of Carolina is the Grystes salmoides, which has 
merely a very distant resemblance to the Salmon. 
The Sea-trouts of Australian seas belong to the genus 
Arripis, The Trouts of the Australian rivers are, 
however, Galaxias of a totally different family. 
Family X. — PERCOIDS {Perccedoe). 
The Common Perch (Perea fluviatilis) conveys a 
good notion of the aspect of this family, being the type 
round which Cuvier grouped the other members. 
With us the family is restricted to a single division of 
Cuvier’s Pereoides, namely, to that having seven 
branchiostegals and five branching rays only, with one 
spine in the sub-brachian ventrals. Other characters 
of the family are common to allied groups, such as 
an oblong body; clothed with ctenoid scales; opercular 
bones variously serrated or spiniferous; teeth on the 
vomer and frequently on the palatines, as well as on 
the jaws ; fins always amounting to seven in number, 
or when there is a separation between the spinous and 
articulated dorsal, to eight ; a csecal stomach ; few and 
not bulky pancreatic cseca ; no barbels, except in one 
or two instances ; and no extension of the second sub- 
orbitar across the cheek, as in the Sclerogenids. The 
skeleton is firm and hard, but is destitute of true bony 
corpuscles. 
Some of the genera have two dorsals or a deep notch between 
the spinous and articulated portions. Such are — P ekcalnina 
(G iinther) — Perea; Percichthys (Girard); Labrux; Bates; 
Cnidon (Miiller); Psammoperca (Richardson); Percalabrax 
(Schlegel); Acerina; Percarina (Nordmann); lAtcioperca; 
Aspro; Etelis; Grammistes; Pogonoperca (GmdAiex) ; Centro- 
pomus ; Niphon ; Enojjlosus ; Lembus (Giinther) ; Oreosoma. 
Others have one dorsal only — S ekanina (Giinther) — Aprion; 
Apsiltis; Centropristis (Giinther); Callanthias (Lowe); Anthias; 
Serranus ; Prionodus (Jenyns) ; Plectropoma ; Trachypoma 
(Gunther) ; Polyprion ; Rhyptievs ; Aulococephalus (Schlegel) ; 
Diploprion; Myriodon (Barneville) ; Biacope (vel Genyoroge, 
Cantor) ; Alesoprion ; Glaucosoma (Schlegel) ; and Pentaceros. 
Most of the typical Percoids are light agreeable 
articles of diet, and some are in high esteem. None 
has been more celebrated than the Basse (Lahrax 
lupus). By the ancient Greeks it was so highly 
valued, that Archistratus calls a Basse brought from 
Milet, “Offspring of the gods.” It had replaced the 
Sturgeon as highest in repute at feasts, in the days of 
Augustus ; and it was a matter of importance to ascer- 
tain the exact locality of the capture of a Basse. At 
certain seasons the Basse of rivers was most prized, 
particularly those taken between the two bridges over 
the Tiber. These were the younger fish, and were 
