FAMILY, VI— CLUPEIDiE. 651 



B. — Height of body 4^ to 5 in its length. M. eyprinoides, with length of base of anal 5f , of head 3^ to 

 3f in that of the body. 



Ha.bitat. — East coast of Africa, fresh waters and estuaries of India, Ceylon, Malay Archipelago, China, 

 and Polynesia. It is occasionally captured in rivers, but much more commonly found in tanks. 



Sixth group — Chinin^formes. 



Mouth anterior, transverse, small. Eyes subcutaneous. Teeth absent. Gill-membranes entirely 

 united. Abdomen rounded and smooth. 



Genus, 14 — Chanos, Lacepede. 



Lutodeira, (Kuhl), Riippell. 



Branchiostegals four : pseudobranehice present. Gill-membranes entirely united below and not attached to the 

 isthmus. Body moderately elongated and compressed : abdomen rounded. An accessory branchial organ in a recess 

 behind the true gill-cavity. Mouth small, anterior and transverse. Teeth absent. Ventral fin opposite the dorsal, 

 ivhich last has more rays than the anal. Caudal deeply cleft. Scales rather small. Lateral-line distinct. Air- 

 vessel with a constriction. Pyloric appendages n)t,merous. 



SYNOPSIS OP INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Chanos sahnoneus, D. 13-16, A. 9-10, L. 1. 80-90. Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago 

 and beyond. 



2. Chanos salmoneus, Plate CLXVl, fig. 2. 



Mugil chanos, Forst. Desc. Anim. p. 74, No. 110 ; Bonn. Ency. Ich. p. 180 ; Gmel. Linn. p. 1398 ; Bl. 

 Schn. p. 116. 



Mugil salmoneus, Bl. Schn. p. 121 ; Forsk. ed. Licht, p. 299. 



Chanos Arahicus, Lacep. v, pp. 395, 396 ; Cuv. and Val. xix, p. 187. 



Gyprinus, Russell, Pish. Vizag-. pp. 84, 85, and Palah bontah, pi. 207, and Tooleloo, pi. 208. 



Lutodeira chanos, Riippell, Atl. p. 18, t. v, f. I, and N. W. F. pp. 80, 84 ; Giinther, Pish. Zanz. p. 120. 



Chanos salmoneus, Cuv. and Val. six, p. 201 ; Giinther, Catal. vii, p. 473 ; Bleeker, Atl. Ich. vi, p. 81, 

 t. 272, f. 4. 



Leuciscus Zeylonicus, Benn. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1832, p. 184. 



Leucisctis (Ptycholepis) salmoneus, Gray, in Dieflf. Trav. New Zealand, ii, p. 218, and Ann. and Mag. N. 

 H. xi, p. 489. 



Butirinus argenteus and Maderaspatensis, Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1849, pp. 343, 344. 



Chanos mento, Orientalis, nuchalis, and chloropterus, Cuv. and Val. xix, pp. 194, 195, 197 ; Eyd, Voy. 

 Bon. Atl. Poiss. t. vii, f. 1 ; Bleeker, Chiroc. p. 11 ; Kner, Novara Pische, p. 341. 



Chanos pala and tolo. Cantor, Catal. pp. 278, 282 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 144 ; Day, Fish. 

 Malabar, p. 224. 



Chanos Indicus, Bleeker, En. Pise. Arch. Ind. p. 160. 



Chanos chanos, Klunz. Fische R. M. 1871, p. 605. 



Tulu candal, Tam. : Palah bontah, Tel. : Hu-meen, Canar. : Pu-mee>i, Tulu. 



B. iv, D. 13.1C(y|:A^), P. 16, V. 11, A. 9-10(V''), C. 19, L. 1. 80-90, L. tr. 12/15, Vert. 19-26. 



Length of head 5-^ to 5i, of caudal 4 to 4i-, height of body 4| to 5^ in the total length. Eyes — 

 subcutaneous, diameter 3^ to 3-J in the length of head, 3/4 to 1 diameter from the end of snout, and 1^ apart. 

 Body elongated : upper surface of head ilat : upper jaw overhanging the lower. The maxilla extends to under 

 the anterior margin of the orbit. Opercle nearly twice as high as wide. Fins — dorsal fin highest in front, its 

 upper margin concave, and along its base are two rows of scales, it arises midway between the front edge of the 

 eye and the base of the caudal fin. Pectoral pointed, with an elongated scaly appendage at its base : ventral 

 inserted under the middle of the dorsal, having a long basal scale. Anal very small : the lower margin of the 

 fin concave, with two rows of scales along its base: caudal deeply lobed, and its centre covered by two semi- 

 lunar laminae of scales. Scales — small, covering the body : there are some rows of enlarged ones over the 

 nape. Gill- rakers short. Colours— summit of head and back of a brilliant glossy blue, fading into silvery on 

 the abdomen : snout light brown. Dorsal and caudal rays grayish, which, as well as the membranes, are 

 dotted with light brown, and both these fins are margined with black. The caudal semi-lunar laminae of scales 

 pale slate colour, the pectorals and ventrals white, with the anterior halves of their external surfaces minutely 

 dotted with dark brown, their elongated appendages bright silvery. The anal white, with the anterior half 

 dotted with black. Iris silveiy, orbital half pale brownish. 



Habitat. — Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. Attains 3 feet at least in 

 length : is called the milk fish or white mullet by Europeans in South Canara, where Hyder Ali introduced it 

 from the sea into tanks of fresh and brackish water where it still thrives. 



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