342 ACANTHOPTERTGII. 



Family, XXXII— SPHYR^NID^, Agassiz, 



Percoidcj, pt., Cuv. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobranchias. Body elongate, sub-cylindrical. Eyes of moderate size, 

 lateral. Cleft of mouth deep. Teeth in the jaws large and cutting : present on palate, none on vomer. Two 

 short dorsal fins remote from each other : anal similar to the second dorsal : ventral abdominal situated 

 more or less opposite the first dorsal fin, and consisting of one spine and five rays. Scales, small, cycloid. 

 Lateral-line continuous. Air-vessel present, bifurcated anteriorly. Pyloric appendages in moderate numbers 

 or numerous. 



Geof/rajjlu'cal distribution. — These caraivorous fishes are found in the seas of temperate and tropical 

 regions. The Barracuda, Sphyrcena picuda, is often more dreaded in the seas it inhabits than the shark. They 

 are not much esteemed for the table. 



Genus, 1 — Sphte.'ena, Artedi. 



Definition as in the Family. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Sphyrcena jello, D. 5 | i, A. -gl-^, L. 1. 120, L. tr. 18/22. Opercle with two points. Gray with a 

 festooned band or short vertical bars along the sides. Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



2. Sphyrwna acutipinnis, D. 5 | i, A. ^ L. 1. 120, L. tr. 14/18. Opercle -vvith a single point. Sind. 



3. Sphyrcena Commersonii, D. 5 | i, A. i, L. 1. 90-95. Opercle with two points. Fins with white tips. 

 India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



4. Spihyrmia obtusata, D. 5 | i, A. i, L. 1. 90, L. tr. 9/17. Opercle ending in a single point. Seas of 

 India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



1. Sphyraena jello. 



Esox sphyrcena, Russell, Fish. Vizag. ii, p. 59 (not Gmel. Linn.), and Jelloiv, pi. 174. 

 Sphyrcena jello, Cuv. and Val. iii, p. 349 ; Belanger, Voy. Zool. p. 346, pi. i, f . 1 ; Riippell, N. W. Fische, 

 p. 88 ; Bleeker, Fere. p. 56, Batjam, p. 369, and Sphyr, p. 12 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 24 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 

 1851, p. 140 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 337 ; Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 64 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 139 ; Klunz. 

 Verb. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1870, p. 823. 

 Gheelahoo, Mai. 



B. vii, D. 5 1 i, P. 14, V. 1/5, A. ^l,-, C. 17, L. 1. 120, L. tr. 18/22, Vert. 12/12. 



Length of head from 3^ to 4, of pectoral 11, of caudal 6, height of body 8 to 9 in the total length. 

 Thickness of the body equals 3/4 of its height. %es— diameter from 5 in the young to 6^ in the length of the 

 head, 2^ to 3 diameters from end of snout, and 1 to 1^ apart. The height of the head equals 4/11 of 

 its length, and its width equals 2/7. The maxilla extends to below the front edge or first third of the eye : 

 lower jaw the longer, -nath a fleshy tubercle at the end of the symphysis. Angle of preopercle obliquely 

 rounded, opercle with two points. Teef/j— small in theupper jaw, about 18 in the mandible, increasing in size 

 posteriorly. About six large ones in the anterior portion of the palatines. Fins—ihe first dorsal commences 

 above the end of the pectoral fin and a little behind the origin of the ventral : central caudal rays 

 about 4/9 the length of the longest outer ones, the upper lobe often the longer. Colours — superiorly gray, 

 becoming white on the abdomen. On the upper part of the side a festooned band intersects the lateral-line, or a 

 number of short vertical gray bands (up to 22) cross it. Ventrals whitish : the other fins yellowish with fine 

 black points, most numerous towards their margins. 



Habitat. — Red Sea, east coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. Attaining 

 at least 5 feet in length. 



2. Sphyrsena acutipinnis, Plate LXXIX, fig. 1. 

 B. vii, D. 5 I 1, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. i, C. 17, L. 1. 120, L. tr. 14/18. 



Length of head Si, of caudal 6i height of body 9i, width of body 10^ in the total length. Eyes- 

 diameter 1/6 of length of head, 2^ diameters from end of snout, and 1^ apart. The height of the head equals 

 its postorbital length, whilst its width is a little less. Lower jaw considerably produced beyond the 

 upper, which is truncated anteriorly, there is a small fleshy knob at the end of the mandible. The maxilla 

 does not extend so far as to below the anterior edge of the eye. Angle of preopercle rounded : opercle ends 

 in a single fleshy point. Teeth— about 18 on each limb of the lower jaw, half of which are of moderately 

 large size, a large fang anteriorly in the lower and two in the upper jaw, thr-ee large teeth on the 

 palate. Fins — first dorsal commences very slightly nearer the end of the lower jaw than it does to the base of 

 the caudal, it arises opposite the end of the pectoral, and a little anterior to the origin of the ventral. 



