176 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Genus, 1 — Polynemus. Definition as in the Family. 



Uses.— These fish are all excellent as food, and from some, rough isinglass or fish-sounds are obtained and 



Family, XI— POLYNEMIDiE. 



Branchiostegals seven: pseudobrancliiae. Body oblong, somewhat compressed. Eyes large, lateral, 

 more or less covered by an adipose membrane: mouth on the lower side of a prominent snout, and having a 

 lateral cleft. Muciferous system on the head well developed. Viliiform teeth on the jaws, and palatines : 

 present or absent on the vomer. Two dorsal fins : several free and articulated appendages below the pectoral 

 fin : ventrals thoracic, with one spine and five rays. Scales finely ctenoid or cycloid, and more or less covering 

 the vertical fins. Lateral-line continuous, continued on to the caudal fin. Air-vessel, when present, varying 

 in form and structure. Pyloric appendages of varying numbers. 



Geographical distribution.— Seas of India to the Pacific, also tropical portions of the Atlantic, not found 

 in the Red Sea. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL GENUS. 



. Defi 

 all exc 

 exported in large quantities. 



Genus, 1 — Polynemus,* Linn. 



Trichidion, Klein ; Polistoiiemus, Gill ; Eleutheronema, Bleeker. 



Preopercle serrated. Teeth viliiform on the jaws, palatines, vomer, and pter7jgoid hones. First dorsal fin with 

 seven or eight iveak spines ; soft dorsal and anal of nearly equal extent : pectoral rays simple or hranched and having 

 a varying number of free ones (3-7) at the base of the fin. Scales ctenoid, rather small, extended on to the vertical 

 fins. Air-vessel, ivhen present, varying in form, size, and structure. Pyloric appendages few, in moderate numbers, 

 or many. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Polynemus paradiseus, D. 7 | Tr'rir' ^- A> L. 1. 70. Seven free pectoral rays, the three upper being 

 twice as long as the fish. No air-vessel. Golden colom-. Upper part of Bay of Bengal to the Malay 

 Archipelago, entering rivers. 



2. Polynemus heptadactylus, D. 8 | xa-iT. A- tt?T2> L. 1. 50-52. Seven free pectoral rays reaching the 

 base of the anal. No air-vessel. Golden, pectoral black, vertical fins with dark edges. 



3. Polynetnus xanthoneimis, D. 8 | y^, A. Ty'^^. Six free pectoral rays reaching beyond the tip of the 

 ventral. No air-vessel. Fins edged with black. Seas of India to China. 



4. Polynemus sextarius, D. 8 | t^^ts. ^- ttt-t^' L. 1. 48-50. Six free pectoral rays reaching to the middle 

 or end of the ventral fin. Air-vessel small and simple. Upper half of dorsal, pectoral, and outer part of 

 ventral black. A large black shoulder-spot. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



5. Polynemus sexfilis, D. 8 | xjItt,, A. ty^tj-, L. 1. 46. Six free pectoral rays reaching rather beyond the 

 ventrals. Air-vessel large. Golden, pectoral black : dorsal and anal blaek-edged. Seas of India to the Malay 

 Archipelago. 



6. Polynemus Indirus, D. 8 | ys-t*^ A. — Kfj. L. 1. 70-75. Five free pectoral rays reaching nearly to the 

 anal fin. Air-vessel long and narrow. Vertical fins dark edged. Seas of India to Australia. 



7. Polynemus plebeius, D. 8 | -jL-, A. Vt> L. 1. 60-65. Five free pectoral rays reaching to the end of the 

 ventral fin. Air-vessel present. Golden, with grey longitudinal bands. Seas of India to China. 



8. Polynemus tetradactylus, D. 8 | yts-ts^ ^- tt-tt. L. 1. 75-85. Four free pectoral rays reaching to the 

 end of the ventral. Air-vessel absent. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and China. 



1. Polynemus paradiseus, Plate XLII, fig. 4. 



Polyneimis paradiseus, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 1401 ; Russell, ii, p. 69, pi. 185 ; GiLnther, Catal. ii, p. 320. 



Polynemus risua, aureus, toposui, Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 228, 232, 381. 



Polynemus longifilis, Cuv. and Val. iii, p. 365, and vii, p. 512 ; Bleeker, Bengal, p. 91, and Enum. Spec. 

 Ind. Arch. p. 245, (not Borneo, ii, p. 268, and vi, p. 418.) 



Trichidion paradisexis, Bleeker, Fish. Madagascar, p. 78. 



Tupsee muchee, Beng. ; Nga-poongna, Bui'm. Mangoe fish. 



B. vii, D. 7 I T^^TTT, P- 15+vii, V. 1/5, A. J^, c. 19, L. 1. 70, L. tr. 5/14, Vert. 10/15, Csec. pyl. 5(10). 



Length of head 2/13 to 1/6, of pectoral 2/5 to 1/4, of caudal 3^ to 3i, height of body 2/13 to 1/6 of the 

 total length. £)/es— minute in the young, in the adult diameter 1/8 of length of head, 2 diameters from end of 



* Kola, Tam.: Nut-tiah, Mugh. 



