1C4 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Polycaulis elongatus, D. i-yI-Mi ■^- 11-15. Brown, with the fins black-edged or else spotted with white. 

 Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



1. Polycaulis uranoscopus, Plate XXXIX, fig. 0. 



Synanceia iiranoscopa, Bl. Schn. p. 195 ; Cuv. and Val. iv, p. 458. 



Synnnceia elongata, Cuv. and Val. iv, p. 45G ; Bleeker, Vei'h. Bat. Gen. xxii, Sclerop. p. 10; GrilEth, 

 Cuv. An. King, xi, pi. 8, fig. 3. 



TracJdcephalus elongatus, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 208. 



Synanceia hreviceps, Richardson, Voy. Sulph. Fishes, p. 71. 



JJraiwscopus adhesipinnis, Blyth, J. A. S. of B. 1800, p. 142. 



Polycauhis elongatus, Giinthcr, Catal. ii, p. 175; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 120. 



B. vii, D. T-JIil, P. 13, V. 1/5, A. 11-15, C. 11. 



Length of head from 1/5 to 2/9, of caudal 1/5 to 2/11, height of body 1/5 to 2/9 of the total length. 

 Eyes — diameter 2/9 to 1/5 of length of head, 1^ diameters from end of snout, and 2 apart. The maxilla reaches 

 to below the middle of the eyes. Head as wide as long, and covered with bony ridges having numerous blunt 

 ])OUits : a blunt preorbital spine having a short one at its base, five along the edge of the preopercle, two on 

 opercle. Lower jaw the longer. Gill-openings having a small rounded superior orifice continuous with 

 the posterior one. Teeth — villiform in the jaws, becoming very obsolete in old specimens. Fins — spines and 

 rays enclosed in the skin, the dorsal commences between or rather in advance of the superior openings of the 

 gills, its spines are low and more or less flexible. Pectoral pointed and a little longer than the head, ventral 

 attached along its entire inner edge to the abdomen : caudal cut square. Scales — absent. Colours — brownish, 

 with or without white dots : fins stained dark at their edges, sometimes spotted, the caudal with a white edge. 



One of Bloch Schneider's specimens of Synanceia tiranoscojja, in spirit, was shown me at Berlin as his 

 type, it was identical with that described above. In the description he states it possesses D. 31 (probably a 

 misprint for D. 21), and A. 20 (perhaps for 10, the first short ray having been overlooked). His specimen came 

 from Tranquebar. 



Jerdon (M. J. L. & Sc. 1851, p. 141) observes that this fish is termed Cid toimibi, Tam. at Madras, and 

 is not very uncommon. 



Habitat. — Seas and estuaries of India, to the Malay Archipelago and beyond, attaining at least 5 inches 

 in lencfth. 



