PROTOPTERUS. — TELEOSTEI. 



23 



Fi^. IG. 



Protopterus dolloi. 

 Type (A. M. C). \. 



Total length 830 millim. 



Congo, Gaboon. — Types in Congo Museum, Tervueren. 



Hgr., one of the types. New Antwerp, Upp. Congo. Capt. Wilverth (C). 



Monsembe, Upp. Congo. Rev. J. H. Weeks (P.). 



Ad. 



Ad. 



4. Yg. 



5. Hor. 



Lower Congo. 

 Banzyville, Ubanghi. 

 Komadekke, Ogowe. 



M. De Meuse (C). 

 Capt. Royaux (C). 

 Dr. W. J. Ansorge (C). 



Order III. TELEOSTEI. 



Paired fins with the basis reduced to a series of dermal bones bearing 

 the rays, without endoskeletal elements. Skull hyostylic ; supraoccipital 

 bone present, splenial absent. Heart without muscular bulbus aortce, or 

 with the bulb much reduced and with a single row (exceptionally two 

 rows) of valves. 



Suborder I. M A L ACO PTE R Y GI I. 



Air-bladder, if present, communicating with the digestive tract by a 

 duct. Pectoral arch suspended from the skull ; mesocoracoid arch 

 present. Fins without spines, the ventrals abdominal, if present. 

 Anterior vertebrse distinct, without Weberian ossicles. 



Synopsis of the Families. 



I. An intergular bono, between the rami of the 



mandible ; over 20 branchiostegal rays ; 



ventral fins with 10-16 rays 1. Elopid^, p. 24. 



II. No intergular bone ; not more than 20 branchiostegal rays. 



A. Supraoccipital bone separated from the frontals by the parietals ; sub- 

 operculum small or absent ; ventral fins with not more than 7 rays. 

 1. Ribs mostly sessile ; pectoral fins folding against the sides of the body 

 and movable upwards. 



