100 PROCEEDINGS OF TIIE ACADEMY OF 
May 21s/. 
Vice President Bridges, iu the Chair. 
Thirty-four members present. 
Papers were presented for publication, entitled : 
" Descriptions of Forty-nine New Species of the Genus Malauin," by 
Isaac Lea. 
" Synopsis of the Uranoscopoids," by Theo. Gill. 
May 2St7i. 
Mr. Lea, President, in the Chair. 
Twenty-eight members present. 
On report of the respective committees, the following papers wore 
ordered to be published in the Proceedings : 
On the HAPLOIDONOTINiE. 
BY THEODORE GILL. 
There are found in the larger fresh water rivers and lakes of North America, 
west of the Rocky Mountains, and in the sea and inlets along its eastern and 
gulf coast, fishes which have the closest external resemblance to the typical 
Scisenoids, and especially to the Corvince. Yet those fishes whose external 
characters are scarcely sufficient to even justify generic separation from the 
Corvince are distinguished by a structure of the lower pharyngeal bones, which 
is entirely different from that exhibited by the corresponding bones of the 
Sciaeninffi. The difference existing between them is of such character that the 
learned Johannes Muller considered himself justified in assigning to them an 
ordinal value, and his views have been since adopted by almost all of the 
most learned ichthyologists. In the Scieeninae, the lower pharyngeal bones 
are always and as decidedly distinct from each other as in any of the Acan- 
thopteri of Mailer. In the fishes now under discussion, the corresponding 
bones of the adult are firmly and immovably united in the same manner as 
those of the Pharyngognathi. The study of them is therefore of the greatest 
interest and importance, for we have thus the simple question of the value ot 
the comparative characters of one part of the organization, relieved of all 
secondary considerations, to decide upon. There are no other differences of 
structure to accompany this one supposed fundamental character. 
There had been previously known many forms, which had respectively the 
acanthopteran and pharyngognathan pharyngeal bones, which mutually re- 
semble each other. Such are the Centrarchinae and the Chromoids. The mem- 
bers of these two groups have a very strong resemblance to each other. This 
is equally exhibited in form, in the armature of the fins, in color and in habits. 
But it is found that while the first fishes have always teeth, at least on the 
vomer, six branchiostegal rays and an entire lateral line, the Chromoids have 
the palatine arch entirely edentulous, only five branchiostegal rays, and the 
lateral line always interrupted ; it may perhaps be also added that the fishes 
of the last family have the intermaxillary bones with longer ascending 
processes, and consequently capable of greater protrusion than those of the 
[May, 
NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 101 
first. It may consequently be argued that the resemblance is one of analogy 
rather than of actual affinity, but with the fishes now under consideration, 
such can scarcely be argued. It can not be truly said that the real affinities 
are veiled under analogical resemblances, where all of the organization save 
one part is similar. For with the exception of the pharyngeal bones, there is 
no difference of at most mote than generic importance between some of the 
genera of Sciaaninae and those of Haploidonotinae. The form is similar ; the 
characteristic peculiarities of the skeleton, the intestinal canal and the rest of 
the viscera, the squamation, the structure of the fins, the peculiar incisions of 
the margin of the snout between the preorbital bones, the pores of the lower 
jaw, the number of branchiostegal rays, the dentition, and all other features, 
are reproduced in the respective genera. Such being the case, we cannot 
hesitate to believe that the likeness between the Haploidonotinae and the 
Sciaeninae is truly indicative of affinity, and we are then naturally led to the 
conclusion that Midler's Pharyngognathi are not entitled to ordinal distinction, 
although admitting that the Acanthopteran Pharyngognathi, known to that 
illustrious biologist, are natural associates. 
The subfamily of Haploidonotinae, so far as is yet known, is entirely confined 
to North America. Only two genera are known, one characterized by the pre- 
sence of small filaments beneath the chin and lower jaw, is represented by 
two species found along the Atlantic coast of North America. They are the 
Pogonias fasciutus Lac, and Pogonias chromis Cuv. The second has no fila- 
ments, and its species are fluviatile and lacustrine ; the name of Aplodinotus 
was first conferred on it by Rafinesque. 
As the name of Aplodinotus, or according to its etymology, Haploidonotus, is 
here for the first time restored, it seems advisable to review the reasons which 
have induced us to adopt this in face of the assertion made by Rafinesque in 
the Ichthyologia Ohiensis. Rafinesque has there* characterized a genus 
which he has called Amblodon, and has remarked that it was called by him 
"Aplodinotus G. 8, of my Memoir on 70 New Genera of American animals, in 
the Journal History of Paris, having been led into error, in supposing that the 
remarkable teeth of its throat belonged to the Buffalo-fish, as will be seen 
below." Under the specific description, he givesf a very good account of the 
pharyngeal dentition, and adds that "these teeth and their bones are common 
in many museums, where they are erroneously called teeth of the Buffalo-fish. 
or of a cat-fish. I was deceived so far by this mistake, and by the repeated 
assertions of several persons, as to ascribe those teeth to the Buffalo-fish, which 
I have since found to be a real catastomus ; this error I now correct with 
pleasure." 
Rafinesque, with accustomed carelessness, has reversed the proposition. It 
was under the name of Amblodon that he formerly described the lower pharyn- 
geal bones of the Sciaenoid, assigning them to two catastomoids. Under the 
name of Aplodinotus, he indicated as correctly as was customary with him the 
external features of the genus of Scisenoids. As the Journal in which his 
descriptions were published, is almost inaccessible in America, the following 
abstract is offered, the series being in the Library of the Smithsonian Institu- 
tion: 
8. Aplodinotus (Thoracique). Corps oblong comprimc. Tete et opercules 
ecailleux, prcopercules dentelts, second opercule membraneux inerme, mem- 
branes branchiales a 6 rayons. Levres extensibles ;i petites dents en rape. 
Deux nageoires dorsales confluentes, la premiere a rayons epineux, la seconde 
sans rayons epineux, ecailleuse longitudinalement a sa base. Nageoires 
1861.] 
*Ichihyologia Ohiensis, p. 24. 
tlchthyologia Ohiensis, p. 25. 
102 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OF 
tlioraciques sans appendices, a 7 rayons dont 1 epineux, anus posterieur. Le 
type de ce genre est un beau et excellent poisson de l'Ohio, A. grunniens, qui 
pese quelque fois jusqu' a 301iv., et que 1'ony nonime Ohio Perch, ou Grunting 
Perch (Perche grognante,) parce qu'il produit souvent un grognement particu- 
lier. Entiereinent argente, a rennets dores, ligne laterale conrbe posterieure- 
ment, queue lunulee, 1 rayon dorsal et anal extremernent court, 2 rayons des 
2 
tlioraciques mucrones. D. 9, 35. A. . P. 18. C. 20. Ce genre est voisin du 
7 
genre Scuena, les opercules et nageoires ecailleux Pen distinguent. 
16. Amblodon (Abdominal). Different du genre Catastomus. Machoire in- 
ferieure pavee de dents osseuses serrees, arrondies, a couronne plate, inegales. 
Les poissons de ce genre, qui abondent dans l'Ohio, le Missouri et le Missis- 
sipi, sont distingues par le nom vulgaire de Buffalo-fish (Poisson buflle,) et les 
Frangois de la Louisiane les nomment Piconeau. II y en plusieurs esp^ces qui 
parviennent souventa une tres grosse taille. Les deux suivans habitent dans 
l'Ohio. 1. A. bubalus, Brunchiatre, pale dessous, Joues blanchatres, D. 28, 
A. 12, P. 16, A. 19, C. 24. L' A. niger est entieremeut noir ; tous deux ont 
la ligne laterale droite, queue bilobee, tete tronquee, etc. lis sont tres-bons 
a manger. 
After a perusal of the above descriptions, there can be no doubt that if they 
alone are consulted, the name of Aplodinotus must be retained. But it is with 
much reluctance that that name is adopted, and only in obedience to the in- 
exorable law of priority. The name of Amblodon is most appropriate and cor- 
rectly formed, while Aplodinotus is both vague and erroneously compounded. 
It is not quite certain how the name is derived. Agassiz, in his ' ' Nomina 
Systematica Generum Piscium " derives it from office simple, and vanoc back; 
a far more probable derivation is from Uirhois, *foc, a simple cloak to fit the body, 
and vam;, the back, in allusion to the scaly coating of the base of the 
second dorsal fin, which Rafinesque considered as the character which chiefiy 
distinguished the genus from Scitena. Had he derived it as Agassiz suggests, 
he would have undoubtedly written Aplonotus. Accepting the above as the 
true etymology, the orthography of Huploidonotus is adopted as more correct. 
It is advisable to state that there are three errors in Rafinesque's short 
diagnosis of "Aplodinotus" which need to be corrected. There are seven 
instead of six branchiostegal rays ; there is a spine in front of the second dorsal 
fin, as was afterwards mentioned in the description of Amblodon iu the Ichthy- 
ologia Ohiensis ; there is the normal number of ventral rays, and not one 
spine, and six soft rays. The last error is almost excusable in such an observer 
as Rafinesque, for the external branch of the first ray is much developed, and 
resembles somewhat the large simple ray of a pectoral or caudal fin. 
Adopting the name of Huploidonotus for the genus, it is taken as the type of 
the subfamily, whose characters, as well as those of its two genera, are now 
given. 
Subfamily Haploidonotin^; Gill. 
The body is oblong and suboval, highest at the front of the spinous dorsal 
fin ; the ante-dorsal region convex. 
The head is oblong, with the occipito-nasal profile very oblique, and the 
snout high and more or less convex. The upper jaw is longer than the lower. 
The supramaxillary bones are mostly retractile under the suborbitars, and 
cease before the vertical of the end of the orbit. The margin of the snout 
between the preorbital bones has four small oblique incisions. There are five 
pores beneath the chin. 
The first dorsal fin is longer than high, and commences nearly over the 
bases of the pectorals ; it is connected with the second by a very low mem- 
brane. 
[May, 
NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 103 
The anal fin is trapezoidal, higher than long, and under or behind the 
median rays of the second dorsal. 
The pectoral fins are pointed. The ventral are inserted almost beneath the 
bases of the pectoral. 
The scales on the body and crown have pectiniforni borders ; those on tho 
cheeks and opercula are mostly cycloid. 
The lateral line is continued to the end of the caudal fin. 
The inferior pharyngeal bones are triangular, with their basal or posterior 
margin widest, and provided with a shallow, braced-formed (,-w-^^O emargi- 
nation, the posterior processes being short and robust. There is a much thick- 
ened triangular area beneath and behind, the apex of which is continued into 
a median or sutural carina or elevation, whence the bones decrease in thickness 
to the margin. From the base of each ascending side of the thickened trian- 
gular area, a strong compressed process proceeds downwards and outwards, 
and is nearly at a right angle to an inferior ridge, which terminates at the 
end of the compressed posterior process of the bone. 
There are three upper pharyngeal bones on each side ; the median is broad 
and of a curvilinear, triangular or subcircular form ; the anterior and posterior 
narrow. 
Most of the teeth of the inferior and upper pharyngeal bones of the adult 
are molar, short, and with truncated or slightly excavated crowns. Only 
those of the external margins are sometimes cylindro-conic. 
The setcese lamina? of the ceratohyals of the first pair of branchial arches are 
very short and compressed ; their internal margins are provided with small 
acute teeth. The dentiferous lamellae of the remaining branchial arches are 
small and ridge-like, distant and armed with small recurved acute teeth. 
Pseudobranchise are present. 
The pharyngeal bones of the young are separated, but in the adult they 
become immoveably united, like those of the Pharyngognathi of Miiller. The 
teeth of the young also incline toward an obtusely cylindro-conic form, but 
with advancing age, they become more and more robust and truncated, and in 
the old, almost the entire surfaces of the lower and median upper pharyngeals 
are paved with short truncated molars. The teeth of the external margins of 
the median upper pharyngeals generally retain the form which the teeth of 
the young possessed. 
Genus Haploidonotus (Raf.) 
Aplodinotus Raf., Journal de Physique, de Chemie, et d'Histoire Naturelle, 
vol. lxxxviii. p. 418. June, 1819. 
Amblodon Raf., Journal de Physique, de Chemie, et d'Histoire Naturelle, 
vol. lxxxviii. p. 421. June, 1819. 
Lower pharyngeal bones described and erroneously attributed to Catasto- 
moids : 
Amblodon Raf., Ichthyologia Ohiensis, p. 24. 
Corvina sp., Cuvier, Richardson, Kirtland, DeKay, Storer, Giinther, etc. 
Amblodon Agassiz, American Journal of Science and Art, ser. ii. vol. xvii. p. 
307. 
" sp. Girard, Report of Explorations and Surveys for Pacific Railroad 
route, vol. x. Fishes, p. 95. 
Body rather elongated or oblong ; the subdorsal outline declines backwards 
with scarcely a curve. 
Head oblong ; dorso-nasal profile declining with a slight sigmoidal curve ; 
snout high and truncated. Eyes mostly anterior. Preoperculum minutely 
crenulated. Chin covered with simple skin. 
Teeth on a villiform band in each jaw; that of the upper preceded by a 
row of slightly larger ones. 
1861.] 
104 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 
Anterior dorsal fin with nine or ten spines. Anal with two spines, the 
second of which is large. Caudal lanceolated. 
The pharyngeal hones as well as the armature of the branchial arches have 
been described as characteristic of the subfamily. There is no essential differ- 
ence between those of the two genera of the group. 
Type Haploidonotus grunniens (Raf) 
Syn. Aplodinotus grunniens Raf., Journal de Physique, vol. lxxxviii. 
Amblodon grunniens Raf. 
Scicena oscula Les. 
Scisena grisea Les. 
Corvina oscula Cuv. et Vol. 
Corvina grisea DeKay. 
Genus Pogonias Lacepede. 
Labrus sp. Linn. 
Pogonias Lacepede, Hist. Nat., vol. iii. p. 137. 
Pogonathe sp. Laefpede, Hist. Nat., vol. v. p. 121. 
Scisena sp. Lacepede, Mitchell. 
Labrus sp. Mitchell. 
Pogonias Cjtvier, Regne Animal, ed. i. vol. ii. p. 298. 
Pogonathua Bon. 
Body oblong ; subdorsal outline little decurved backwards. 
Head oblong ; dorso-nasal profile nearly regularly curved, or the sigmoidal 
flexure obsolete. Snout high. Eyes anterior. Preoperculum entire. Chin 
furnished with many filaments, and each ramus of the lower furnished inter- 
nallv for most of its length with a row of distant ones. 
Teeth in a villiform band in each jaw. 
Anterior dorsal fin with ten spines. Anal with two ; the second large and 
stout. Caudal subtruncated. 
This genus is very closely related to Haploidonotus, the only essential differ- 
ential characters being the beard filaments of the chin and lower jaw, and per- 
haps the form of the caudal fin. 
Type Pogonias fasciatus Lacepede. 
An additional representative of the subfamily of Haploidonotinse may per- 
haps be found in the Chilotrema fasciatum of Tschudi.* That species has a 
greater superficial resemblance to the Pogonias fasciatus than any other fish, 
but bearing in mind the close resemblance of Haploidonotus to Corvina, we do 
not even dare to positively assert that it belongs to the same subfamily.^ 
The following list will exhibit the number of species of the subfamily of 
Haploidonotinre of the United States. As has been already remarked, the 
genus Pof/onias, containing bearded species, with truncated caudal fins, are 
marine, and found on the Atlantic coast, while the Haploidonoti, without 
beards, and with lanceolated caudal fins, are found only in the larger fresh 
water rivers and lakes. 
Genus Haploidonotus (Raf.) 
Haploidonotus grunniens Raf 
Aplodinotus grunniens Raf., Journal de Physique, &c, vol. lxxxvi i, p. 
418. 
Haploidonotus concinnus Gill. 
Amblodon concinnus Agassiz, American Journal of Science and Art, ser. 
ii. vol. xvii. p. 307. 
* Tschudi Fauna Peruana. Ichthyologia, p. 13, tab. 1. 
[May, 
NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 105 
Haploidonotus lineatus Gill. 
Amblodon lineatus Agassiz, American Journal of Science and Art, ser. ii. 
vol. xvii. p. 307. 
Haploidonotus neglectus Gill. 
Amblodon neglectus Girard, United States and Mexican Boundary Sur- 
vey. Ichthyology, p. 12, pi. v. figs 6-10. 
Haploidonotus Richardsonii Gill. 
Corvina Richardsonii Cuv. et Val., Hist. Nat. des Poissons, vol. v. p. 100. 
The last species will be found to be the representative of a distinct genus, 
but with our present knowledge, it is unadvisable to characterize it. Cuvier 
and Valenciennes, in the Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, as well as Richard- 
son in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, have attributed to it seven branchiostegal 
rays. In the article "Ichthyology," of the last edition of the Encyclopaedia 
Britannica, (p. 284,) Sir John Richardson has remarked of the species as fol- 
lows : " We have, however, some suspicion of its belonging more properly to 
the Theraponidse than to the Sciaenidse, notwithstanding Cuvier's weighty 
authority. It has only six branchiostegals." The former description is pro- 
bably correct. The species certainly is not allied to the Theraponida?. It dif- 
fers principally from the true Haploidonoti by the form of its head, and of the 
caudal fin. 
The Amblodon saturnus of Girard belongs to the subfamily of Sciaeninze, and 
to the genus Rhinoscion Gill. 
Of the marine genus, there are two species. 
Genus Pogonias Lac. 
Pogonias fasciatus Lac. 
Pogonias chromis Cuv. 
On the Genus ANISOTREMUS Gill. 
BY THEODORE GILL. 
In the "Catalogue of the Fishes of the Eastern Coast of North America," 
the Pristipoma rodo of Cuvier, which is a doubtful or accidental visitor to the 
southern coast of the United States, has been taken as the type of a distinct 
genus on which the name of Anisotremus has been conferred. The characters 
of the genus are now given, with descriptions of the type and a newly dis- 
covered species from the western coast of Central America. 
Anisotremus Gill. 
Anisotremus Gill, Catalogue of the Fishes of the Eastern Coast of North 
America, p. 32. 
Sparus sp. Linn, et al. 
Perca sp. Block. 
Grammistes sp. Block, Schneid. 
Lutjanus sp. Lactphde. 
Pristipoma sp. Cuv., auct. 
Body rhombo-ovate and much compressed, highest at the anterior part of 
the first dorsal fin, and thence declining toward the end of the second, gradu- 
ally under the first, more rapidly under the second. Ante-dorsal region very 
convex, and profile thence declining very rapidly to the snout. 
Head laterally of a rhomboid form, higher than long, with the profile very 
oblique and nearly parallel with the obliquely descending border of the oper- 
culum. Preoperculum behind nearly vertical' and finely serrated. Two pores 
in front of the lower jaw, and a central groove behind." 
1861.]