32(5 l'OLYI'Ti;RlU.E. 



Fam. 2. POLYPTERIDiE. 



Miilh); Ahhandl. Ak. Wiss. Bvii. 1844, p. 147. 



Scales ganoid, lozenge-shaped ; fins without fulcra. 

 A series of dorsal spines, to which an articulated finlet 

 is attached ; anal placed close to the caudal fin, the 

 vent being near the end of the tail. Abdominal part 

 of the vertebral column much longer than the caudal. 

 No pseudobranchiffi. 



Fresh waters of Central and Western Africa. 



Two genera are known : — 



Ventral fins well developed . . 1. PoLYPXEnus, p. 32('). 

 Ventral fins none 2. Calamoichtuys, p. 327. 



1. POLYPTERUS. 



Polvpterus, Geoff. St-IIilaive, Diser. Eq. Poiss. ; Midler, Abhandl. 

 Ak. Wiss. Berlin, 1844, p. 14'J. 



Body elongate, subcylindrical ; snout short. Nostrils with a 

 teutacic. Teeth rasp-like, in broad bands in the jaws, on the 

 vomer and palatine bones ; jaws with an outer series of closely set 

 larger, pointed teeth. Fins without fulcra. A series of dorsal fins, 

 each formed of a single spine, to which a finlet of articulated rays 

 is attached. Caudal fin surrounding the extremity of the vertebral 

 column. Ventral fins well developed. Maxillary simple; vomer 

 simple ; mandible composed of the same pieces as in fishes gene- 

 rally. Vertebroc biconcave. Three and a half gills ; no opercular 

 gill or pseudobranchia ; a spiracle on each side of the parietal, 

 covered by an osseous plate. Branchiostegals replaced by a single 

 large bony lamina. Stomach without blind sac ; one pyloric ap- 

 pendage ; intestine with a spiral valve. Air-bladder double, com- 

 municating with the ventral w^all of the pharynx. 



Tropical parts of Africa. 



On the osteology and anat'omy see Geoffroy St.-Hilaire, Descript. 

 de I'Egypte ; Agassiz, Poiss. Foss. ii. 2. p. 32 ; Midler, I. c. 



1. Polypterus bicliir. 



Polypterus bichir, Gc<ff. Bull. Sc. Sue. Philovi. iii. p. 97, and Descr. 

 ■ Fa/. Poiss: pi. 8, and Ann. Mns. i. p. 57, pi. 5 ; Lacep. v. p. 341 ; 



( 'uv. Rk/ne An. ; Gnichen. Maq. Zool. 1830, I'oiss. p. 10 ; Af/ass. 



Puiss. Fhss. ii. 2. p. 32, pi. C & C a. 

 — — seuegalu.s, Cur. Iit:/itf An. : Gidrhenot, I. c. p. 11, pi. 1. 

 emllicheri, Jlcckcl, in lii/,isef/r/rr's Peisc, ii. 3. p. 310, taf. 22. 



fie-. 1 



