252 Records of the Indian Museum. [Vior. XT, 
easily acclimatises itself to fresh water. Large numbers are caught 
in the river Cooum within tidal influence, and in brackish ponds near 
the coast.!. During the floods young fish are common in the Cooum 
above tidal influence, while adult fish occur in the Madras Fort 
ditch and in tanks in the Government House gardens, both of 
which have had no access to the sea for years. The above facts 
seem to show that this fish breeds in fresh water. A congener, EL. 
lacervta of Africa, is known to enter rivers. 
FE. indicus appears to breed during the cold weather. The fry 
of this genus, like those of the other members of the family, are 
said to be ribbon-shaped.* 
Megalops cyprinoides (Broussonet). 
Tamil—Moran Kendai. 
All the specimens examined, ranging from a length of 6 inches 
to 20 inches, are referable in most respects to Bleeker’s M. kun- 
dinga, but the head is slightly smaller and there area greater number 
of anal and dorsal rays. 
Habitat and Habits.—M. cyprinoides is an estuarine fish fre- 
quently entering fresh water and easily accommodating itself to it. 
The larvae and young are common in the Cooum river, within 
and above tidal influence and in pools near the coast; but the 
largest specimens I have seen, about a foot and a half in length, 
are from ponds in the city. According to Thomas they acclimatise 
very readily to fresh water and grow fast and are said to breed in 
fresh water.” In support of the last statement, I may state that 
I have obtained the species in various sizes from a pond about 
4 miles from the sea which has no communication with river or 
backwater. I have not seen it in the Red Hills tank or in any of 
the larger lakes further inland. 
M. cyprinoides is an active and powerful fish, predaceous in 
habits, subsisting mainly on the smaller Cyprinidae in ponds. 
In an aquarium young specimens are attractive, but their growth 
in such surroundings is not rapid. At frequent intervals they rise 
slowly till they are quite near the surface, when they make a 
sudden dash to the surface and descend down in a moment having 
swallowed air, which escapes through the opercular cleft. This 
habit is natural to the fish, as it often rises to the surface in ponds 
and the act is accompanied by a characteristic splash of water 
and the escape of air bubbles. According to ‘‘Skeen Dhu”’ they 
rise to the surface only between 5 and 6 p.m.§ Connected with 
this habit is the fact observed by Dr. Willey that this species lives 

! At the lower anicut on the Col river, Tanjore district, specimens over a foot 
and a half in length are frequently captured with Hilsa (Clupea tlisha) during the 
floods in July and August. 
* Thomas, Tank Angling, p. 168 (1887). 
° and * Cambridge Nat. Hist., VII, Fishes, p. 547. 
® Thomas, Rod in India, Pp. 214. 
5 Skeen Dhu, Zhe Mighty Mahseer, p. 49. 
