One family, Zeidce; the John-dories, belongs here. In the same group we may place pro visionally an extinct family, Amphistiidce. Dr. Boulenger has suggested that to fishes allied to the Amphistiidce we may trace the origin of the John-dories, and of the great group of flounders as well. This is an interesting sug gestion, but the actual line of descent is as yet not proved.
The sub-order Selenichthyes includes the family of Lamprididce or opahs. In this group is a single species, a huge fish almost as deep as long, with the hypercoracoids greatly de veloped and the ventral fin with many soft rays, an archaic character unknown in other spiny rayed fishes.
In This neighborhood perhaps belongs the sub-order of Heterosomats, or flounders, char acterized by the twisting of the cranium, an arrangement which permits the fish to lie flat on one side on the sand, while both eves are turned to the upper or colored side. In this structure, but the scales are usually coarser and rougher, and the structure less adapted to swift movement. Many members of this group are confined to the fresh waters. The families. are Centrarchicke, the sunshines, Kuhliide, the silver-bass, Elassomidce, the pigmy-perch, group there are no fin-spines. The young flounder when first hatched has the skull and eyes symmetrical, and the modification of the head proceeds by degrees.
There are two families, Pleuronectide or flounders, and Soleichr or soles.
To the group or super-family Scombroidea belong a great variety of fishes, usually swift in motion and with thin soft scales, the ventral fins, if present, having a spine and five soft rays.
The families are Rachicentride, the sergeant fishes, Pomatomichr or bluefishes, Carangide or Cavallas, or papagallos, Scorn bridce or mackerels, Pakeorhynchiche (extinct), Lepidopida' or scabbard-fishes, Trichiurida or cutlass-fishes, Istiophoridce or sail-fishes, Xiphiidce or sword-fishes, Coryphenider or dol phins, or pomf rets, Pteraclidide, Stromateidcr or harvest-fishes, Icosteiche or rag-fishes, Acrotidcr, Zaproride, Louvarida or Louvars, Menida, Leiognathidce, Steinegeriida, and Tetragonuride or square-tails. The Gram micolepidce perhaps belong in this neighbor hood.
Aphredodericr, the pirate-perch, Percidce, the river-perch and darters, Apogonida., the beardless mullets, Scombropiche, Acropomide, Scrranicr, the bass, Lobotidcr, the flashers, Rypticider, the soap-fishes, Kyphosidw, the chopas, Scorpidida, Theraponide, the slave fishes, Hamulide, the grunts, Lutianide, the snappers, Sparidee, the porgies, Ccesionidce, Ger ride, the mojorras, Mcenide, the picarels, Sciernida', the drums, Centropomide (or Oxyla bracide), the robalos, Polycentrida, Nandida., OPlegnathida or stone-wall perch, Sillaginide, Pentacerotide, Priacanthide, the cataluf as, Mullide, the surmullets. Remotely allied to the percoid fishes are the Pseudochromidichr, the Opisthognathiche or jaw-fishes,the Malacanthidr, the Latilide or tile-fishes, and possibly the Cepolidce or hand-fishes.
The group or sub-order of Labyrinthici com prises fresh-water fishes of the Indian region, with a peculiar apparatus for storing water connected with the gills. The families are OsPhromenida or gouramies, Anabantidce or climbing perch, Helostomide, Luciophalickr, and Ophiocephalide or snakehead-fishes.
The imperfectly known families, Bathyclupe +de, Stephanoberycithe and Pempheridce have some resemblance to berycoids, but the ventral rays are I, 5.
The great group or super-family Peritoidea agrees with the mackerel-like fisties in general Another group, called Pharyngognathi by Muller, is characterized by the complete union of the lower pharyngeals, a character de veloped independently in the Synentognathi and in some Srimnidee. It contains three sub-orders or super-families. The Chromides have a single nasal opening on either side. Of these there are two families, the Pomacen trida or damsel-fishes, chiefly beautiful in habitants of the coral reefs, and the Cichlida, perhaps derived from ancestors of the Zeoidea, is known as Sguamipinnes or Chatodontoidea. These are characterized in general by the union of the post-temporal or uppermost bone of the • river-fishes of the tropics of both continents.
The Holconoti comprise the viviparous perch or surf-fishes of California and Japan; one family, Embiotocida.