228 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



the fin, and twee the length of the last : a long elongated scale at its base. Anal with the first 

 four rays bony and unbranched, the fourth the longest and three times the length of the last. 

 Caudal deeply lobed, with scales along its centre. 



S ca le S _The longest diameter from above downwards. The smallest are along the abdomen. 



Lateral line— Consists of a central tube to each scale. It first makes a slight concavity, until 

 it reaches a little above the centre of the body, and then passes direct to the caudal. 



Colours— Summit of head silvery, upper surface of body dark bluish, fading into silvery white 

 on the side, a golden tint about the head and jaws. Anal and caudal diaphanous, the other fins 

 yellowish, dotted with black. Dorsal with the upper and lower margins blackish : eyes silvery. 



Grows to two or three feet in length, and is eaten by Europeans, but not esteemed. 



Habitat— Eed Sea, Seas of India, Malaysia, China, and Japan : also the Mauritius and through 

 the North and South Atlantic Oceans. 



Elops apalike. 



Clupea apalike, Lacepede, v. t. 13, f. 3. 



Kundinga, Russell, pi. 203. 



Cyprinodon cundinga, Ham. Bitch, pp. 254, 383. 



Megalops Indicus, Guv. & Veil. xix. p. 388, p. 577. 



Elops Indicus, Guv. & Veil. xx. p. 472. 



Megalops filamentosus, Cuvier, Tthg. anim. ii. p. 324; Jerdon, Madras Journal, xv. 



p. 344. 

 Elops cundinga, Cantor, Catal. p. 289. 

 Cunnay, Mai. 



B. Left xxv-xxvi, Right xxiv-xxv. D. 19-21. P. 15-16. V. 11. A. 24. C. 19. L. 1. 39. 



L. tr. f . 



Length of head ^, of pectoral T 2 5 , of caudal above \, of base of dorsal ^j, of base of anal T 2 5 

 of total length. Height of head T 2 g, of body \, of dorsal exclusive of filament ^, of dorsal in- 

 cluding filament above \, of ventral ^ T of total length. 



Eyes Upper margins close to the profile, situated in the anterior half of the head. Hori- 

 zontal diameter f\, vertical diameter \ of length of head, rather more than J a diameter from end 

 of snout, and rather more than ! a diameter apart. In the immature fish the proportionate size 

 of the eyes is smaller. 



General appearance somewhat resembling that of a large herring. Body elongated and com- 

 pressed : head also compressed. Profile from snout to dorsal very slightly elevated, and from 

 thence to the caudal a little depressed. There is rather a shallow concavity from the snout to 

 opposite the posterior margin of the orbit. Lower profile more curved than the upper. 



Mouth oblique, snout obtuse, anterior extremity of the lower jaw completing the anterior end of 

 the upper profile. Intermaxillaries almost transverse, forming a broad space into which is received 

 the end of the lower jaw : cleft of mouth about as deep as it is wide. No lips. The end of the 

 maxillaries extend below the centre of the orbit in the adult, and to opposite the posterior margin 

 in the immature. Maxilla very narrow, but posteriorly having two wide supplementary parallel 

 bones, the internal appearing as if it were two. Upper jaw convex in front, concave posteriorly, 

 with its extremity rounded. Lower jaw rather elevated opposite the symphysis, and its upper 



