360 



ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Family, XXXV— AULOSTOMATEID^E, Cantor. 



FldHJarkhB, pt, Mull,; Auhdomatoidei, pt., Sleeker. 



Branchiostegals five to seven : pseudobranchiae. Gills four. Form of body elongated : the anterior 

 bones of the skull produced, forming a long tube, and having a small mouth at its anterior extremity Teeth 

 small. Spinous dorsal, when present, formed of isolated spines: soft dorsal and anal of moderate length: 

 ventrals abdominal with six rays, no spine, and separated from the pubic bones which are attached to 

 the humeral arch. Scales small or none, but parts of the skeleton or else dermal productions may 

 be in the form of external plates. Air-vessel large. Pyloric appendages few. Vertebras numerous. 



Dr Giinther observes that in AulostomateMce " the ventrals have an abdominal position in consequence of 

 the prolongation of the pubic bones, which are attached to the humeral^ arch." In the Centnscidm on the 

 contrary we find the " ventral fins truly abdominal, imperfectly developed." 



Genus, 1 — ^FiSTULARiA, Linnceus. 



Solenosfomus, sp. Klein and Gronov. ; Cannorlnjnchus, Cantor. 



Branchiostegals seven. Mouth slightly cleft. Dorsal and anal fins composed entirely of undivided ray!: : 

 caudal forked, with one or two of its central rays very elongated and filiform. No scales, hut some bony casmg 

 behind the head above and below. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Fistularia serrata, D. 13-15, A. 14-15. Immaculate. 



1. Fistularia serrata, Plate LXXVI, fig. 3. 



Fistularia tabaccaria, White, Voy. Bot. Bay, p. 29G, f. 2 ; Linn. p. 515 „ .^. , ^, .. „ 



Fistularia tabaccaria, var. Bl. viii, p. 130, t. 387, f. 2, 3 ; Bl. Schn. p. 114 ; Russell, Fish. Vizag. n, p. o8, 



and Goorum, pi. 173. .^ -_ t-'- i noo -v^ 



Fistularia serrata, Cuv. Reg. Anim. : Giinther, Catal. in, p. 633; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 238; Klunz. 



Verb. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1871, p. 515. ^ , ^, . „.n m i c 1,1 x- t 



Fistularia immaculata, Cuv. Reg. Anim. ; Richards. Ich. Chma, p. 247; Tem. and Schleg Fauna Japon. 



Poiss p 320 • Bleeter, Amb. and Ceram. p. 281, and Japan, p. 11 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and be. 18.)1, p. 140. 

 Fistularia Commersonii, Riipp. N. W. Fische, p. 142 ; Peters, Wiegm. Arch. 1856, p. 268. 

 Cannorhynchus immaculattis. Cantor, Catal. p. 211. ^ 



CannorhynchiLS serratus, Bleeker, Arou. 1873, p. 3, and Fish. Madagascar, p. /4. 



B. vii, D. 13-16, P. 13, V. 1/6, A. 14-15, C. 10/1/10. 



Lentrth of head 2/5 to the end of tail (excluding the filament). Eyes—l} diameters in the postorbital 

 portion of the head. A serrated ridge from the anterior superior angle of the eye to the nostril J'iw.s— the 

 kvs undivided. Colours— hroy^n, dii'^y white beneath : occasionally light spots on the back and sides. 



At the Andaman islands 1 found this fish frequenting the most muddy localities ; it is common at Madras. 



Dr. Le Vaillant has lately (1874) shown that the elongated central ray from the tail fin of this fish has 

 been employed in the manufacture of the interesting Serr anus phaeton, Cuv. andVal.ii, p. 310, pi. 34; Gcinther, 

 Catal. i, p. "100, distinguished from all others of the genus by the presence of a deeply forked caudal fin, having 

 the middle ray much elongated. „ ^ ,. , 1,, , » 1 • 1 nx.- 1 



Babitat.—Y-com the East coast of Africa, through the seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, China, and 



New Holland. 



