512 PHTSOSTOMI. 



Hahitat. — Fresh waters of Sind, India, and Ceylon, also through Burma.* It attains at least 12 inches 

 in length. 



6. Belone strongylurus, Plate CXVllI, fig. G. 



Esox, Eussell, Fish. Vizag. ii, p. Gl, and Kuddera, A. Plate 17G. 



Belone stnngylura, V. Hasselt, Bulletin de De Femssac, 1823, Zool. p. 374 ; Giinther, Catal. vi, p. 2-iG. 



Belone caudimaculata, Cuv. Reg. Anim. ; Cuv. and Val. xviii, p. 4-52 ; Rich. Ich. China, p. 264; Bleeker, 

 Snoek, p. 12. and Beng. p. 72 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 246 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 147 ; Day, Fish. 

 Malabar, p. 164 ; Giinther, Catal. vi, p. 245. 



Mastacembelus strongylurus, IBleeker, Revis. Mastacem. p. 220, Atl. Ich. vi, p. 45, and Scombresoc. 

 t. xi, f. 3. 



Cii.nr/ur, Sind.: Ooshee-collarchee and Coco-meen, 'Long-nosed fish," Tam. : Wodlah-muhu, Tel.: 

 ThooJc-o-doo-noo-dah, Andam. : Copiah, Mai. 



B. xii, D. 13-15, P. 11, V. 6, A. 16-18, C. 15. 



Length of head 2| to 3, of caudal 10, height of body 13 to 14 in the total length. Eyes — diameter 3J 

 in the postorbital length of the head, 1 to Ij apart. A shallow median groove along the head, the superciliary 

 region scarcely striated. One-third of the maxillary concealed by the preorbital. Preopercle wide : opercle 

 rounded posteriorly. Teetli — in the jaws widely separated, sharp, straight, not very large. Vomerine teeth 

 absent. Fins — ventral arises midway between tlie orbit and the base of the caudal fin : anal in the last third 

 of body, its first 4 rays in advance of the dorsal, which last is highest in front, with the upper margin concave, 

 its posterior I'ays do not extend nearly to the root of the caudal fin : anal of the same shape. Pectoral nearly 

 as long as the postorbital portion of the head. Caudal rounded. Scales -small, on the opercles and groove on 

 the head : 11 transverse rows between the lateral-line and base of the anterior rays of the dorsal fin. Lateral- 

 line— double. The free portion of the tail compressed, much deeper than wide and without any distinct lateral 

 keel. Colours — summit of head and back yellowish-green, with minute brown dots, fading into silvery on the 

 sides, and white on the abdomen. Cheeks and opercles silvery. A deep blue longitudinal band, bordered 

 beneath by another broader one of sUver, passes along the posterior half of the sides. Dorsal with a little 

 orange along its upper edge, it and sometimes the anal bright yellow, and the rays dotted with brown. 

 Pectoral and ventral diaphanous, the latter occasionally with a black spot at the base. Caudal yellowish or 

 greenish, minutely dotted with black, and having a round bluish-black spot in the centre near the root. Iris 

 silvery : upper surface of eye bluish-black. 



Dr. Giinther considers that B. strongylurus " is very closely allied to B. caudimaculata, but has always 

 the head shorter and the eye comparatively smaller." 



Habitat. — Seas and coasts of India and Burma to the Malay Archipelago. Sometimes it is taken in 

 estuaries and tidal rivers, it is not itncommon at Calcutta. It attains 2 feet or more in length. 



Genus, 2 — HEMIRHAMPHnS,t Cuv. 



nyporJiamphus, Euleptorhamplms, ZenarcJiopterus, and OxyporJiamplms, Gill. : Dermatogenys (K. and v. 

 Hass.), Peters : Hemirhamphodon, Bleeker: ArJiampJnis, Gunther. 



Pari Icollarchee, Tamil. 



Branchiostegals rather numerous. Gill-openings loide. Body snh-cylindrical and elongated. Eyes lateral. 

 JJppier jaw, iijhicli is formed hy the premaxillaries, is short and more or less triangular in form: whilst the lower 

 jaw, in the mature, is elongated far beyond the upper. A nasal barbel usually present. Teeth villiform in both jaws. 

 The number of dorsal and anal rays tkay be about equal, or either may be in excess of the other. The dorsal fin may 

 commence anterior to, above, or behind the origin of the anal : no finlets posterior to the dorsal fin. Pectoral may or 

 may not be prolonged : caudal mostly forked or emarginate, sometimes rounded. Sccdes of moderate, or large, size : 

 air-vessel large, occasionally cellular. Dorsal and anal rays may be modified. Some species are viviparous. No 

 pyloric appeyidages. 



During the cold season of the j-ear the roes of these fishes are largely collected on the Malabar coast of 

 India, where they are esteemed a great delicacy. 



* It li!\s been lirought from Ta younp; by Dr. J. Anderson, 

 f The Hemirhamplihur have been thus sub-tlivided isce Bleelier's Atlas, vi, p. 51.) 



I. — The portion of the lower jaw (beak) anterior to the conjoined premaxillaries, smooth and edentulous. 



Beak rudimeritary , not limirer than the upper jaw. Caudal lobed. as Oxyporhampl^uf=A>■rhamph^lS. 



Beak much longer than the a)yper jaw. The dorsal fin commencing above or anteiior to the anal, as 1. Hemirliamphus^ 

 Eyporhamphus. Body moderately elongate. Teeth in the j.«ivvs tricuspidate or conical. Caudal bilobed. -2. Eiileptorhamphus. Body 

 vei7 elongate. Teeth in pveniaxillaries simple : tricuspidate in the lower jaw. Dor.sal commencing above or anterior to the anal. 

 Caiidal bilobed. .3. Zenarclio-pterus. Body moderately elongate. Conical teeth in the jaws. Dorsal commencing above or .anterior to 

 the anal. Caudal not emarginate. The males may have one or more dorsal, or anal rays modified 4. Dermogenys. Body moderately 

 elongate. Dorsal considerably shorter, and commencing far bcliiud the origin of the anal. Caudal rounded. Teeth conical. 

 II. — The portion of the lower jaw (beak) ajiterior to the conjoined premaxillaries, toothed. 



6. Ueinirlanplwinn. Body moderately elongated. Dorsal fin commencing far before the anal, and twice as long as it. 

 Caudal rounded. Teeth conical. 



