teeth, and the exterior maxillary teeth are pointed. In the Carangue,
(Caranx carangus), there is a row of conical teeth exterior to the
hand of villiform denticles in the upper jaw ; there is also a similar,
hut more close-set row in the lower jaw, the two anterior of which
are produced, like canine teeth, beyond the rest.
In the pilot-fish, (Naucrates Ductor), the maxillary teeth are
villiform, and are arranged in a narrow hand on each jaw, there is
a broader, but shorter hand of similar teeth in the palatines, and
along the middle of the tongue. The dentition of the genera, Kurtus,
Seriola, Gallichthys, Blepharis, Olistes, Vomer, Brachinotis and Elacates
is similar to that of the Naucrates; but the pharyngeal teeth in the
latter genus, are more strongly developed. The pharyngeals are
paved with small obtuse teeth in the genus Hynnis. In the Apolectus,
Centrolophus, and Astrodermus, the minute maxillary teeth are rather
ciliiform than villiform, and are disposed in a single row.
In the Chorinemus two rows of small conical teeth rise above
the villous hand of denticles in the intermaxillary and premandihular
bones. The pterygoid, as well as the palatine, vomerine, and lingual
hones, support oval patches of villiform teeth in this genus.
The jaws of the common mackerel, the type of the Scomberoid family,
are feebly armed with a single row of small pointed and slightly
recurved teeth; the anterior part of each palatine bone is similarly
provided, and there are three or four small teeth on each anterior
angle of the vomer. The tongue is smooth, but the pharyngeal bones
are beset with teeth so long, delicate and flexible, as to resemble
hairs.T
he maxillary teeth of the tunny, (Thynnus vulgaris), are relatively
smaller than those of the mackerel, and resemble the points of
small pins, slightly bent inwards and backwards; there are about
forty of these denticles on each side of the jaw, those of the lower
jaw being somewhat the largest. The Scomber pelamys of Linnaeus or
the striped-bellied bonito, (Thynnus Pelamys, Cuv.), has teeth like
those of the tunny; but the true, or striped-backed bonito (.Pelamys
Sarda, Cuv.(l) has the maxillary teeth more strongly developed ; they
are conical, slightly compressed, sharp-pointed, and arched towards
(t) Plate 1, fig. 3.
the interior of the mouth ; the third on each side is a little longer
than the rest. There is a row of very small conical teeth, on the
outer margin of each palatine bone ; but the vomer is edentulous.
In the king-fishes, (Cybium), and the temnodonts, the maxillary
teeth are relatively larger than in the bonitos, and are lancet-shaped,
with very sharp points and edges. There are twenty-five of these
teeth on each intermaxillary bone, and twenty on each premandihular
bone. In the Oybium Commersonii the jaw-teeth present the form of
an isosceles triangle, with trenchant margins. A crescentic plate on
the anterior part of the vomer, a hand on each palatine and nearly
the whole of the oral surface of the pterygoid hones are roughened
with close-set microscopic villiform teeth. The dentition of the
Scomheroids of the genus Thyrsites is distinguished from that of
the king-fishes chiefly by the increased length of a few of the anterior
intermaxillary teeth, and by the development of the palatal teeth
into small pointed laniaries. In the genera Gempylus, Lepidopus, and
Trichiurus or hair-tail, the elongated anterior intermaxillary teeth
present a small retroverted point or barb at the posterior margin near
the apex.
In the scabbard-fish there is a row of twenty to twenty-two
compressed sharp-pointed teeth on each intermaxillary hone, and
just behind the anterior part of each row are two or three teeth
four times as large and long as the others, slightly bent inwards ;
six of these, Mr. Yarrell observes, is the correct number, but two or
three are generally observed to he broken. The under jaw has also
one entire row of teeth, with two longer ones. The vomer is edentulous,
but the long external edge of each palatine bone has one row
of very minute teeth; the pharyngeal bones and branchial arches
are also furnished with teeth that are exceedingly minute. (1)
In the genus Lactarius the jaws and palatine bones are beset
with villiform teeth ; besides which there are at the fore part of each
of the intermaxillaries two or four long, curved and sharp-pointed
teeth, and in the premandihulars a row of fine, acute, recurved and
closely packed teeth. There is a small chevron-shaped group of
(1). British Fishes, i, p. 179