Key to the Families of Puget Sound Fishes

Section H

Pelvic Fins Thoracic with Exactly
One Spine and Five Soft-rays

1a.Dorsal fin followed by two or more finletsFamily Scombridae
Mackerels and Tunas
1b.Dorsal fin followed by one finlet or none2
2a.Dorsal entirely of soft-raysFamily Bathymasteridae
Ronquils
2b.Dorsal fin with spines and soft-rays3
3a.Dorsal fin with only 3 or 4 spinesFamily Bramidae
Pomfrets
3b.Dorsal fin with 5 or more spines4
4a.Anal spines present6
4b.Anal spines absent5
5a.Lips fringed; suborbital stay absentFamily Trichodontidae
Sandfishes
5b.Lips not fringed; suborbital stay presentFamily Cottidae
Sculpins
6a.One or two anal spinesFamily Sciaenidae
Drums
6b.Three anal spines7
7a.Preopercle without spines (may be weakly serrated)9
7b.Preopercle with spines8
8a.First 3 or 4 dorsal fin spines greatly elongatedFamily Zaniolepididae
Combfishes
8b.Anterior dorsal fin spines not greatly elongatedFamily Scorpaenidae
Scorpionfishes
9a.Two dorsal fins11
9b.One dorsal fin (may be deeply notched)10
10a.Six to eleven dorsal fin spines; suborbital stay absentFamily Embiotocidae
Surfperches
10b.Dorsal fin has 16-28 spines; suborbital stay presentFamily Hexagrammidae
Greenlings
11a.Opercle has two spinesFamily Moronidae
Temperate Basses
11b.No opercular spines12
12a.Two lateral line canals, main line composed of heavy scutes and extending length of body, accessory line extending along base of dorsal finFamily Carangidae
Jacks
12b.Single lateral line canalFamily Anoplopomatidae
Sablefishes

Start Over at the beginning of the key