MUGILID^. 409 



the next fullowing spine. The spines can be received in a narrow 

 groove. The caudal is deeply forked ; the length of one of its longest 

 rays is one-ninth of the total. Each scale is deeply striated, with 

 five or six keels, each keel terminating in a minute point. The 

 scales of evei^' transverse series are entirely coherent, whilst the 

 whole series can easily be separated from the adjoining. Colour 

 uniform brown. 



Fam. 38. MUGILIDiE. 



Mugiloidei, Sleek. Eiinm. Spec. p. xxiv. 



Body more or less oblong and compressed, covered with cycloid 

 scales of moderate size ; lateral line none. C^eft of the mouth nar- 

 row or of moderate width, ivithout or tvith feeble teeth. Eye lateral, 

 well developed. Gill-opening wide ; fom* gills ; i^seudobranchiaB ; 

 five or six brancliiostegals. Two short dorsal fins, the anterior with 

 four stiff spines ; anal a little longer than the dorsal opposite. 

 Ventral fins with one spine and five rays, abdominal, suspended from 

 the elongate coracoid bone. Number of vertebral tivcnty-four. 



Fresh waters and coasts of all the temperate and tropical regions. 

 Feeding on soft organic substances or very small animals. 



Synopsis of the Genera 

 No true teeth in the jaws 1. Mugil, p. 409. 



Small teeth, at least in the upper jaw ; lower lip with 



the margin roiuided 2. Agonostoma, p. 461. 



A single series of small teeth in the upper jaw ; the 



lower jaw with a sharp front margin 3. Mtxus, p. 466. 



1. MUGIL*. 



Mugil, Artedi, Genera, p. 32. 



Mouth more or less transverse, with the lateral cleft short ; no 

 true teeth in the jaws ; anterior margin of the mandible shai-p, 

 sometimes ciHated. A division of the stomach extremely niuscidar. 



Migratoiy fishes of all the temjjerate and tropical regions, passing 

 a part of the year in the sea ; feeding on organic substances which 

 are mixed with the mud or sand. 



It is very ditficult to distinguish the single species of this genus 

 from one another ; fortunately the single characters appear to vary 



* 1. Mugil plumieri, m t. 396 ; Ci<«. <^ FaZ. xi. p. 90 ; 1 Gay, Hist. Chile, Zool. 

 n. p. 261. — Sphyrtena pluniieri, Bl. Schn. p. 110. — Atlantic coasts of 

 Tropical America. — This species appears to be closely allied to M. 

 cephalus. Yalencienues omits to give the number of the anal rays. 2. 



