APPENDIX F 



THE LABVA OF THE EAST INDIAN TARPON, MegalopS 



cyprinoides brouss. 



(Translated from Bulletin du Department De V Agriculture 

 aux Indees Neerlandaises. Die Larve von Megalops 

 cyprinoides Brouss. No. XX, 1908, pp. 10-12.) 



In the month of January, fish larvae appear in the brackish 

 water of the harbor canals of Batavia, (see illustration) 

 which are very similar to that of Albula, nevertheless it 

 can not belong to this genus, but must be related to the 

 Megalops cyprinoides, on later elucidated grounds. The 

 total length of the larvae collected by me varies from 23 to 

 30 mm. yet all appear to be in the same stage of develop- 

 ment. Older stages I have not yet found, and the develop- 

 ment of the larvae is unknown. 



The body is band-like. One animal of 25 mm. total 

 length (22 without the caudal) has a depth of 3 mm. It 

 is quite transparent; in life only the eyes and swim bladder 

 are distinct. 



The fins, with the exception of the ventrals, are already 

 well developed, and much larger than in the youngest of 

 Gill's stages (Albula), which otherwise correspond most 

 closely with the Batavia larvae. Dorsal and anal fins lie 

 far back, the first somewhat in front of, but for the most 

 part over the latter. The dorsal has eighteen rays, and in 

 front of these are plain evidences of one or more undevel- 

 oped rays; the last ray is somewhat larger than the others 

 and this gives a hint of the filament of the adult Megalops. 

 The anal fin possess twenty-seven rays, the caudal twenty, 

 from each of which ten hypurales are formed. The small 



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