1400 
Family SYN0D0NTIDAE 
Body oblong or elongate, little compressed. Head 
moderate, pointed. Mouth very wide, entire upper margin 
formed by long slender premaxillaries, closely adherent with 
slender maxillarles, latter mostly rudimentary or obsolete 
and never expanded posteriorly. Teeth mostly cardiform 
in body Jaws, on palatines and tongue. Canines rarely preseit 
and larger teeth usually depressible. No barbels. Opercle 
thin, complete. G-lll membranes separate, free from isthmus. 
Gill rakers tuberbular, or obsolete. Pseudobranchiae present. 
Branchiostegals usually numerous. Body covered with cycloid 
scales, rarely naked. Lateral line present, axial. Skeleton 
rather well ossified. Air vessel small or wanting. Intest¬ 
inal canal short. Eggs closed in sacs of ovary and extruded 
through oviduct. Dorsal fin short, of soft rays only. Adi¬ 
pose fin present, rarely obsolete. Anal moderate or long. 
Caudal forked. Paired fins present. 
Mostly shore fishes, some living at great depths and 
most are not valued as food. 
