A REVIEW OF THE LIZARD-FISHES OR SYNODONTID^ OF THE WATERS OF JAPAN. B}^ David Starr Jordan and Albert Christian Herre, Of Stanford University . In this paper is given an account of the Japanese species of the family of hzard-fishes or Synodontidje. It is based on material col-lected in 1900 by Professors Jordan and Snyder, and series of speci-mens are in the United States National Museum and in the museum of Stanford University. Family SYNODONTID.E. Body oblong or elongate, little compressed, with cycloid scales, rarely naked; mouth very wide, the entire margm of upper jaw formed by the long, slender premaxillaries, closely adherent to which are the slender maxillaries, the latter mostly rudimentary or obso-lete, never widened at tip; teeth mostly cardiform on both jaws, tongue, and palatines; canines rarely present; large teeth usuall}" depressible; no barbels. Opercular bones usually thin, but complete; gill membranes sep-arate, free from isthmus; branchiostegals usually numerous; pseu-dobranchia^ present; gill-rakers tubercular, obsolete, or modified into teeth; no orbitosphenoid or mesocoracoid ; lateral line present; dorsal fin moderate, of soft rays only, its insertion median; ventrals rather large, median; pectoral fhis small, mserted high; caudal forked, vertebrae numerous, essentially similar; fishes of sandy bottoms in the warm seas; adipose fin present. In Japan, these fishes are known as Eso. KEY TO GENERA. a. SYNODONTIN.E. Teeth simple; gape wide; flesh firm. h. Teeth on the palatines in a single band on each side. c. Snout very blnnt, shorter than eye; anal fin longer than dorsal. Trachinocephahis. 1 . cc. Snout rather acute, longer than eye; anal fin mucli shorter than dorsal. Synodns, 2. Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXXII— No. 1544. 513
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