154 



Harpodon, Lesueur, Giinther. 

 124. Harpodon squamosus, Alcock. 



Earpodon squamosus, Alcock, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. August, 1891, p. 127 : Illustrations op the Zoology or 

 thb Investigator, Fishes, pl. XXX. fig. 1. 



B. 17. D. 12-14. A. 13-15. P. 10. V. 9. 



The length of the head, measured to the edge of the operculum and not to 

 the end of the produced branchiostegal rays and membrane, is about one- fifth, 

 the height of the body about one-sixth of the total, without the caudal. The 

 vertex of the head with numerous minute mucous pores. 



Snout broad, depressed ; its tip is formed by the projecting lower jaw, and 

 its length, including the mandibular element, slightly exceeds the major diameter 

 of the eye, which is about one-eighth the length of the head as above limited. 

 The width of the flat interorbital space is twice the vertical diameter of the 

 eye. 



Mouth-cleft oblique, wide : the maxilla is nearly two-thirds the length of 

 the head as above limited. Introrsely-depressible cardiform teeth in bands in 

 both jaws ; one series in the lower jaw enlarged, with barbed hastate tips, and 

 one series in the upper jaw less enlarged ; in each palatine an outer irregularly- 

 double row of teeth, of which the anterior and external are enlarged, and a very 

 short inner irregularly- double row ; hyoid bone and all the branchial arches 

 toothed. 



Gill-openings extremely wide ; the branchiostegal rays and membrane much 

 produced beyond the operculum. 



Body, posterior part of head, and cheeks covered with deciduous cycloid 

 scales, which are less deciduous on the posterior half of the tail. 



The dorsal fin arises within the anterior half of the body (measured with 

 the caudal) almost opposite to the origin of the ventrals. The anal arises 

 about an eye-length behind the vent, which is nearly twice as far from the gill- 

 opening as from the base of caudal. The fimbriated adipose dorsal is situated 

 far back, above the posterior half of the anal. Caudal deeply forked, with an 

 inconspicuous median lobe. Ventrals long, delicate, and feathery, the longest 

 (middle) rays reach to within two eye-lengths of the vent in the adult. Pectorals 

 very narrow and fragile ; they arise almost on the same plane with the eyes, and 

 their longest (middle) rays do not nearly reach to the dorsal fin, being about as 

 long as the postorbital portion of the head. 



Stomach with a very long ca)cal sac ; eighteen large pyloric cteca in a 

 pectinate arrangement. 



