=Suborder Pharyngognathi.=—The wrasses and parrot-fishes, constituting the group called _Pharyngognathi_ (φαρύγξ, gullet; γνάθος, jaw), by Johannes Müller, have the lower pharyngeal bones much enlarged and solidly united, their teeth being either rounded or else flat and paved. The nostrils, ventral fins, pectoral fins and shoulder-girdle are of the ordinary perch-like type. The teeth are, however, highly specialized, usually large and canine-like, developed in the jaws only, and the gills are reduced in number, 3½ instead of 4, with no slit behind the last half gill. The scales are always cycloid and are usually large. In the tropical forms the vertebræ are always twenty-four in number (10 + 14), but in northern forms the number is largely increased with a proportionate increase in the number and strength of the dorsal spines. All the species are strictly marine, and the coloration is often the most highly specialized and brilliant known among fishes, the predominant shade being blue. [Illustration: FIG. 317.—Tautog, _Tautoga onitis_ (L.). Wood's Hole, Mass. ] All are carnivorous, feeding mainly on crustaceans and snails, which they crush with their strong teeth, there being often a strong canine at the posterior end of the premaxillary, which holds the snail while the lower jaw acts upon it. The species are very numerous and form the most conspicuous feature in the fish markets of every tropical port. They abound especially in the pools and openings in the coral reefs. All are good for food, though all are relatively flavorless, the flesh being rather soft and not oily. =The Wrasse Fishes: Labridæ.=—The principal family is that of the _Labridæ_, characterized by the presence of separate teeth in the front of the jaws. Numerous fossil species are known from the Eocene and Miocene. Most of these are known only from the lower pharyngeal bones. _Labrodon_ is the most widely diffused genus, probably allied to _Labrus_, but with a pile of successional teeth beneath each functional tooth. The species are mostly from the Miocene. [Illustration: FIG. 318.—Tautog, _Tautoga onitis_ (L.). (From life by Dr. R. W. Shufeldt.) ]