Lophobkanchs. FISHES. Syngnathids. 157 
itself to stones in rapid currents, and so maintain its 
their head and body ; the mouth, situated under the 
place. 
snout, has a ventral aspect, and is bordered anteriorly 
A smart galvanic shock can be given by the small 
by the maxillaries and premaxillaries ; both these 
scaleless Malapteruri which inhabit the rivers of 
bones and the mandible are set with long flexible teeth. 
Northern Africa. By a correct analogy, the Arabs 
and a broad fold of skin surrounds the orifice of the 
term these fishes Raad or Thunder. Dr. Barthe men- 
mouth ; the branchiostegals are four in number, and 
tions islienza as the native name of the Malapterurus 
the gill-cover is generally immovable ; the first ray of 
on the Niger. 
the dorsal and the pectorals, and sometimes of the 
The ■ Clarias angtdllaris, known in Egypt by the 
ventrals, is bony and spiniferous; some have an adipose 
name of Karmoot or Harmouth^ is supposed to have 
second dorsal headed by a bony ray. 
been anciently called Alahes or Latus, and to have 
As in the Glanidians, the absent stylo-coracoid is 
been an object of worship in Latopolis, now Esneh. 
replaced by a process of the coracoid, and the heart 
The Cascadura of Trinidad {Hoplosternum) is very 
is lodged in a bony capsule of the last-named bone. 
highly esteemed as an article of food, and it is probable 
Both families are destitute of pancreatic caeca, but the 
that Siluroids are among the fishes used in making 
Goniodonts want also the air-bladder. Much phos- 
the strong-smelling huni, used in Central Africa as an 
pbate of lime exists in the dermal plates, which contain 
indispensable medium of exchange. 
bone corpuscles, like the plates and spines of the Gla- 
nidians. A link between the two families exists in the 
Family II. — GONIODONTS {Goniodontidce). 
Sisor rhabdophorus, whose skin is naked, and mouth 
Plate 5, fig. 24. 
toothless. 
The members of this family, called by some Lori- 
The genera are — Loricaria; Eemiodon (Kner); Acestra 
CARINI, were formerly included among the Glanidians, 
(id.); Pterygoplichthus (Gill); Khinelepis; Acant/iias; and 
Uypostomm, all South American. 
but they differ in possessing pseudobranchim, and in 
being destitute of a csecal dilatation of the stomach. 
Like the Synodonts of the Nile, many of these fishes 
A coat of mail, formed of hard angular plates, encases 
have the habit of swimming on their backs. 
Order VI I. — L 0 P H 0 B R A N C H S. 
Plate 14, fig. 69, 70. 
The Lophobranchs have an osseous internal skeleton 
and a very complete dermal one, which incloses them 
Family II. — PEGASIDES (Pegasidce). 
like jointed armour, giving them a stiff and curious 
Plate 14, fig. 69. 
aspect. No bony corpuscles enter into the composition 
of the bones. Their jaws are complete and free, but 
In these fishes the breast is greatly expanded, so that 
the ultimate position of their gills, instead of being 
its breadth much exceeds its height ; the gill-opening 
disposed like the teeth of a comb in single or double 
is lateral, and the operculum flat and depressed to the 
rows, is in small tufts, clustered in pairs on the 
level of the belly ; the mouth is on the ventral aspect, 
branchial arches. The gill-opening is small, and 
at the base of the bill, like that of a sturgeon; the 
there is no air-duct to the swim-bladder. Very 
body is encased in rings, which have each three knobs 
little flesh exists on the mailed body, whose armour 
or spines, the breast-ring being very broad, bispinous. 
is formed of rings that allow a certain degree of 
and extended between the gill-covers ; the tail is flat- 
flexibility. The fins are in general small. In most. 
tish, quadrangular, and spiniferous ; nine or ten firm 
the male carries the eggs during the process of incuba- 
spine-like rays support each pectoral fin ; the ventrals 
tion. The number of fins varies in different groups. 
are biradiate and filamentous ; the caudal is ten-rayed. 
In all the face is elongated into a tube or snout formed 
and the dorsal and anal occupy from two to four rings. 
of the nasal, vomer, tympanals, preopercula, and sub- 
There is but a single genus in the family (Pegasus) of 
opercula, the nasal being a short compressed plate. 
three species. 
Family I. — SOLENOSTOMES {Solenostomidce). 
Family III.— SYNGNATHIDS (Syngnathidce). 
In these the orifice of the mouth is at the extre- 
These fishes have an elongated form, with a single 
mity of a long, compressed, leaf-like snout, and when 
dorsal placed nearly above the vent, and a small round 
the gill-plate is raised, the whole gills are exposed. 
gill-opening high up. The pectorals are present in 
The family is represented by a single species (Solenos- 
some, and absent in others ; and the anal, which is in 
tomus paradoxus) of great interest to ic.hthyologists 
no case large, is wholly wanting in some. Most have 
from its singular form and roseate colour, with black 
egg-pouches that vary in position with the genus, two 
ornaments. 
genera only being without pouches. Some have pre- 
