418 ANACANTHINI. 



anterior consisting of an elongated ray arising from the occiimt : the second and the anal having each a central 

 dwarfed portion almost forming a distinct fin. Ventrals jugular, cmisisting of five or six rays, the outer of which are 

 elongated. Scales cycloid, of moderate size. Lateral-line continuous. Air-vessel present. Pyloric appendages few. 

 Geographical distrihution. — These small fishes appear to inhabit the coasts and estuaries of India, China, 

 and the Philippines to New Zealand. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Bregmaceros atripinnis. D. 1/20 + XV + 22, A. 22 + 10 + 26, L. 1. 70, L. tr. 18, Case. pyl. 2. Rich 

 brown, becoming lighter on the abdomen : fins black, except the ventral, which is of a dirty white. Coasts of 

 India, Burma, and the Andamans to New Zealand. 



2. Bregmaceros McClelland. D. 1/16 + X + 15, A. 22 + X + 15, L. 1. 64, L. tr. G/8. Silvery : back 

 shaded with green : occiput, upper half of pectoral, and first half of dorsal spotted with black. Coasts of India 

 to China and the PhUippLnes. 



1. Bregmaceros atripinnis, Plate XCI, fig. 1. 



Asthenurus atripinnis, Tickell, J. A. S. of Beng. 1865, p. 32. pi. i. 



Bregmaceros atripinnis. Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 522. 



.*" Calhptihim punctatum, Hutton, Trans. N. Z. Inst, v, p. 267, pi. xi. 



Bregmaceros punctatum, Giinther, Ann. and Mag. 1876, p. 398. 



D. 1/20 + XV + 22, P. 21, V. 6, A. 22 + 10 + 26, C. 17, L. 1. 70, L. tr. 18, Ckc pyl. 2. 



Length of head G\ to 6i, of caudal 11 to 12, height of body 6 in the total length. jEz/es— diameter 2/7 

 of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout and also apart. Lower jaw rather the longer : the maxilla 

 reaches to below the posterior third of the orbit. Gill membranes separated as far forwards as to below the 

 front edge of the eye. Teeth— in jaws, none on palatines. Fins— the first dorsal consists of a single ray, 

 which commences on the summit of the head, and reaches backwards to opposite the posterior exti-emity of 

 • the pectoral. First portion of the second dorsal higher than the body, its intermediate rays very low. Pectoral 

 commences under the throat and is extended as far as the posterior third of the body. The anterior portion of 

 the anal is not quite so high as that of the dorsal. Caudal slightly emarginate. Scales — cycloid, in parallel 

 rows. Lateral-line—ahseui. Air-vessel — small, present. The csecal appendages are large. Colours — of a rich 

 brown, Isecoming lighter on the abdomen. Dorsal, pectoral, anal, and caudal fins black : ventrals of a dirty 

 white : the younger the specimen the less dark it is, in the very young there is no black on the fins. 



A figure of this species exists amongst Sir W. Elliott's di-awings, it is marked " Misahi maga" found at 

 Waltair, June 27th, 1853. 



IToT/iYa^.— Bombay, coasts of India, Burma and the Andamans, to New Zealand : attainmg at least 

 5 inches in length. The specimen figured, life-size, is in the Calcutta Museum, it came fi-om Akyab where it 

 was procured by the late Col. Tickell. 



2. Bregmaceros McClellandi. 

 Thompson, Chariest. Mag. Nat. History, 1840, iv, p. 184 ; Gunther, Catal. iv, p. 368 ; Day, Fishes of 

 Malabar, p. 171. 



Calloptilum mirnm, Richards. Voy. Sulphur, p. 95, pi. 46, f. 4-7. 



B. vii, D. 1/16 + X -f 15, P. 25, V. 5-6, A. 22 + X -f 15, C. 15, L. 1. 64, L. tr. 6/8. 



Length of head 1/7, of caudal 2/11, height of body 1/7 of the total length. JE7i/es— diameter 2/5 of the 

 length of the head, 1/2 a diameter from end of snout, and 1 apart. Body fusiform, compressed posteriorly. 

 Upper jaw slightly the longer, extending to behind the centre of the orbit. Teeth— m jaws, a few on the vomer, 

 but none on the palatine bones. Fins— the first dorsal arises on the occiput in the form of a slender ray, which 

 is rather longer than the head. The second dorsal commences in the middle third of the total length, its fourth 

 ray the longest and the fin higliest in front, each ray is unbranched but articulated, and very slender, the 

 membrane is deeply notched : the succeeding ten rays being very short and slender, appearing almost like a 

 distinct fin : whilst the last fifteen are lengthened and extend nearly to the base of the caudal. The anal is of 

 much the same shape as the second dorsal. The ventral wliich arises under the throat, consists of six rays, the 

 outer three of which are dilated, compressed, and extended so as to reach as far as about the twenty-first anal 

 ray. Scales — cycloid, small. Lateral-line— covii\TL-ao\xs. Colours— s^ixevy, the back shaded with green. Occiput 

 and upper half of pectoral black, the first half of dorsal spotted with black. 



Dr. Gunther, Ann. and Mag. 1876, p. 398, appears to consider Bregmaceros punctatum, Hutton=to 

 B. atripinnis, Tickell, as identical with B. Macclellandi, Thomp. which latter however besides difiering in the 

 extent of the fin-rays was said to have neither air-vessel nor csecal appendages, whereas both are present in 

 B. atripinnis. 



Hahitai.—The mouths of rivers and coasts of India to China, and the Philippine Islands : said to grow 

 to about three inches in length. 



