Distribution.—Tropical seas; ranging south as far as the Cape of Good Hope and Australia, and north to Japan and (one species) to New Jersey, U.S.
Family 52.—CHROMIDÆ. (19 Genera, 100 Species.)
"Fresh-water herbivorous or carnivorous fishes, with elevated or elongate scaly bodies, and small teeth."
Distribution.—The Oriental, Ethiopian, and Neotropical regions.
Eutroplus (2 sp.) is from the rivers of Southern India and Ceylon; Chromis (15 sp.), Sarotherodon (2 sp.), and Hemichromis (4 sp.), are from the rivers and lakes of Africa, extending to the Sahara and Palestine. The remaining 15 genera are American, and several of them have a restricted distribution. Acara (17 sp.) inhabits Tropical South America and the Antilies; Theraps (1 sp.), Guatemala; Heros (26 sp.), Texas and Mexico to La Plata; Mesonauta (1 sp.), Brazil; Petenia (1 sp.), Lake Peten, Guatemala; Uaru (2 sp.), Brazil; Hygrogonus (1 sp.), Brazil; Cichla (4 sp.), Equatorial America; Crenicichla (9 sp.), Brazil and Guiana; Chætobranchus (3 sp.), Brazil and Guiana; Mesops (2 sp.), Brazil; Satanoperca (7 sp.), Amazon Valley and Guiana; Geophagus (1 sp.), North Brazil and Guiana; Symphysodon (1 sp.), Lower Amazon; Pterophyllum (1 sp.), Lower Amazon.
Order III.—ANACANTHINI.
Family 53.—GADOPSIDÆ. (1 Genus, 1 Species.)
"Fresh-water fish, with rather elongate body covered with very small scales, the upper jaw overhanging the lower, forming an obtuse snout."
Distribution.—Rivers of Australia and Tasmania.
Family 53a.—LYCODIDÆ. (3 Genera, 14 Species.)