12 STMBEANCniD^. 



Fam. 27. SYM BRANCH ID.^. 



Symbrancliii, Mi'dler, Abhandl. Ak. Wiss. Berlin, 1846, p. 193. 



Body elongate, naked or covered with minute 

 scales; barbels none. Margin of the upper jaw 

 formed by the intermaxillaries only, the well-deve- 

 loped maxillaries lying behind and parallel to them. 

 Paired fins none. Vertical fins rudimentary, reduced 

 to more or less distinct cutaneous folds. Vent situated 

 at a great distance behind the head. Ribs present. 

 Gill-openings confluent into one slit situated on the 

 ventral surface. Air-bladder none. Stomach without 

 caecal sac or pyloric appendages. Ovaries with ovi- 

 ducts. 



Fresh waters and coasts of Tropical America and Asia. Coasts of 

 Western Australia and Van Diemen's Land. 



Si^inopsis of tlie Groiq^s and Genera. 



A. Amphipnoina. Vent in the posterior half of the length. 



Humeral arch not attached to the skull. 



Piilatiiie teeth in a single series ; an accessory breatbing-sac. 



1. A)nphiimous, p. 13. 



B. Symbeanchina. Vent in the posterior half of the length. 



Humeral arch attached to the skull. 

 Piilatino teeth in a narrow band; gills rudimentary ... 2. Moncqjtcrus, p. 14. 

 Palatine teeth in a band ; gills well developed 3. Spuhra/ichus, pA5. 



C. CniLOBRANCHiNA. Vent in the anterior half of the length. 

 No teeth on the palate 4. Chilobranchus, p. 17. 



Osteohc/ical llemarls. 



The following remarks are made on the skeletons of 



Vertebra}. 



AmpMpnous cuchia 106 + 65 



Monopterus javanensis 100 + 88 



Si/mhranchus viarmoratus 79 + 57 



Si/mhrancJms hengalensis 80 + 53 



(Chilobranchus dorsalis) 21 + 52 



The skull of the Symbranchida' is distinguished by solid, firmly 

 imited bones, especially those of the temporal region being much 



