HISTORY.
19
of his anatomical and physiological knowledge should have overlooked the fact that secondary sexual characters are developed in fishes as in any other class of animals, and that fishes undergo great changes during growth; and, consequently, that he described almost all such sexual forms and different stages of growth under distinct specific and even generic names.
The system finally adopted by Cuvier is the following:—
| A. Poissons Osseux. | ||
| I.—A BRANCHIES EN PEIGNES OU EN LAMES. | ||
| 1. A MÂCHOIRE SUPÉRIEURE LIBRE. | ||
| a. Acanthoptérygiens. | ||
| Percoïdes. | Sparoïdes. | Branchies labyrinthiques. |
| Polynèmes. | Chétodonoïdes. | Lophioïdes. |
| Mulles. | Scomberoïdes. | Gobioïdes. |
| Joues cuirassées. | Muges. | Labroïdes. |
| Scienoïdes. | ||
| b. Malacoptérygiens. | ||
| Abdominaux. | Subbrachiens. | Apodes. |
| Cyprinoïdes. | Sparoïdes. | Murenoïdes. |
| Siluroïdes. | Pleuronectes. | |
| Salmonoïdes. | Discoboles. | |
| Clupeoïdes. | ||
| Lucioïdes. | ||
| 2. A MÂCHOIRE SUPÉRIEURE FIXÉE. | ||
| Sclérodermes.Gymnodontes. | ||
| II. A BRANCHIES EN FORME DE HOUPPES. | ||
| Lophobranches. | ||
| B. Cartilagineux ou Chondroptérygiens. | ||
| Sturioniens. | Plagiostomes. | Cyclostomes. |
