Distribution.—Temperate and tropical regions.
All the genera have a wide distribution. A species of Belone and one of Scombresox are found on the British coast. The Flying-fishes (Exocetus, 44 sp.), belong to this family. They abound in all tropical seas and extend as far as the Mediterranean and Australia. None of the genera are exclusively fresh-water, but a few species of Belone, and Hemiramphus are found in rivers in various parts of the world.
Family 73.—CYPRINODONTIDÆ. (20 Genera, 106 Species.)
"Fresh-water fishes, covered with scales, the sexes frequently differing, mostly viviparous."
Distribution.—Southern Europe, Asia, Africa and North America, but most abundant in Tropical America.
The distribution of the genera is as follows:—
Cyprinodon (11 sp.), Italy, North Africa and Western Asia to Persia, also North America from Texas to New York; Fitzroya (1 sp.), Montevideo; Characodon (1 sp.), Central America; Tellia (1 sp.), Alpine pools of the Atlas: Limnurgus (1 sp.), Mexican plateau; Lucania (1 sp.), Texas; Haplochilus (18 sp.), India, Java, Japan, Tropical Africa, Madagascar, and the Seychelle Islands, Carolina to Brazil, Jamaica; Fundulus (17 sp.), North and Central America and Ecuador, Spain and East Africa; Rivulus (3 sp.), Tropical America, Cuba and Trinidad; Orestias (6 sp.), Lake Titacaca, Andes; Jenynsia (1 sp.), Rio Plata; Pseudoxiphophorus (2 sp.), Central America; Belonesox (1 sp.), Central America; Gambusia (8 sp.), Antilles, Central America and Texas; Anableps (3 sp.), Central and Equatorial America; Pœcilia (16 sp.), Antilles, Central and South America; Mollienesia (4 sp.), Louisiana to Mexico; Platypœcilus (1 sp.), Mexico; Girardinus (10 sp.), Antilles and South Carolina to Uruguay; Lepistes (1 sp.), Barbadoes.
Family 74.—HETEROPYGII. (2 Genera, 2 Species.)
"Fresh-water fishes, with posterior dorsal fin, and very small scales."
Distribution.—Fresh waters of the United States.