1298 
Body much compressed, elongate. Head much compressed. 
Snout obtuse, tip rounded, not proboscis like. Mouth cleft 
inferior. Teeth acicular, uniserisl on maxillaries, biserial 
on dentaries, villiform and biserial on palatines. Gills,4. 
Branchiostegals 8. Scales very numerous, moderate, round, 
thin, flexible. Dorsal almost rudimentary, of 12 to 15 very 
short flexible spines, remote from each other and not connect¬ 
ed by membrane. Anal very long, origin close behind vent, 
which nearly midway in body. Front part of anal of separate, 
flexible spines, without membranes, resembling those of dor¬ 
sal; these gradually lengthen, grading into articulated branch¬ 
ed rays. No caudal. Ventrals broad, with wide peduncle-like 
bases, closely contiguous, separated only by slight basal 
groove, situated near vent. 
