6l6 TELEOSTEI 



CHAP. 



The genus Kneria comprises two species from the fresh waters 

 of tropical Africa, one from Angola, the other from East Africa. 1 

 Small Loach-like Fishes, two to four inches long, with the upper 

 jaw projecting beyond the mouth, which is inferior and transverse ; 

 no barbels ; gill-membranes entirely grown to the isthmus, the gill- 

 opening being a rather narrow vertical slit; dorsal and anal fins 

 short, the former opposite, or nearly opposite, to the ventrals ; the 

 snout of the male (?) of K. angolensis is described as beset with 

 small spine-like excrescences ; the intestinal tract makes several 

 convolutions. 



Fam. 11. Cyprinodontidae. Mouth protractile, the max- 

 illaries excluded from the oral border ; teeth in the jaws and on 

 the pharyngeal bones ; pterygo-palatine arch weak or rudimentary ; 

 opercular bones all well developed. Basis cranii simple. Prae- 

 caudal vertebrae with strong parapophyses, bearing the ribs ; 

 epipleurals inserted on the ribs. Post-temporal forked. Ventrals, 

 if present, with 5 to 7 rays. No adipose dorsal fin. Air-bladder 

 sometimes absent. 



From a physiological point of view, this Family may be 

 divided into carnivorous forms, with short digestive tract, and 

 phytophagous or limnophagous ones, in which the intestine forms 

 numerous coils. To the first division belong the living genera 

 Cyprinodon, Characodon, Tellia, Haplochilus, Fundulus, Eivulus, 

 Cynolebias, Orestias, Empetrichthys, Jenynsia, Pseudoxiphophorus, 

 Belonesox, Gainbusia, Anableps, among existing forms, and the 

 fossil genera Prolebias (Oligocene and Miocene) and Pachylebias 

 (Miocene) ; to the second, the living genera Poecilia, Mollienesia, 

 Platypoecilus, and Girardinus. Procatopits, a near ally of Hap- 

 lochilus, recently discovered in South Cameroon, is remarkable 

 for having the ventral fins inserted far forward, below the 

 pectoral fins. 



These are small or very small Fishes, 2 only a few reaching a 

 length of about a foot, confined to fresh or brackish waters, 

 recognisable externally by the flat head with protractile mouth, 

 the usually large scales, and the absence of a well-developed lateral 



1 K. spekii has been described as from Central Africa, but the only known speci- 

 mens were obtained by Speke in Uzaramo, a district on the coast of German East 

 Africa, just south of Zanzibar. 



2 The most recent account of the Cyprinodonts, with much information on the 

 habits, development, and anatomy, is by S. Garman, Mem. Mvs. Comp. Zool. xix. 

 No. 1, 1895. 



