231 



I. Mugil Linnc. 

 (LiNNK, Syst. nat. cilit. Xa. 1758, p. 316). 



Body oblong, more or less compressed, sometimes anteriorly 

 depressed. ■ Head rather large, convex or depressed, scaly 

 above and on sides. Cleft of mouth more or less transverse, 

 its lateral extension short and ending far distant from orbit. 

 Mouth usually subinferior, formed by intermaxillarics, the maxil- 

 laries being small, only their end visible or concealed by the 

 well developed praeorbitals. Mandibles with a sharp margin. 

 Upperlip fleshy or narrow, with or without papillae. Lips some- 



Fig. 67. Mugil labiosus C.V. X 'Vt 



times ciliated by minute, flexible dermal teeth ; no teeth on 

 palate. Eye large, with or without an anterior and posterior 

 gelatinous eyelid, covering part of the iris. 



For other characters see those of the family. 



The numerous species are living in shoals in sea along the 

 shores, in brackish estuaries entering freshwater of rivers, oc- 

 curing in all tropical and temperate regions, forming a common 

 food-fish of considerable importance. Some species have a very 

 wide, Mugil cephalus L. even a nearly world-wide distribution. 



Remark: We use as primary distinguishing characters the 

 number of scales counted in a lateral line from gillopening to 

 the small scales on root of caudal ; the position of the median 

 fins opposite to these scales; the number of the soft rays of 

 the anal; the length of the pectorals and their extension along 

 the '•lateral line"; the development of a gelatinous eyelid; 

 the character of the upperlip and if the maxillaries are visible 

 or not. Discrepancies between our statement about the number 

 of lateral scales and those of Bleeker are explained by the 

 fact, that Bleeker also counted the small scales on base 

 of caudal. 



