74 TELEOSTEI. PIIYSOSTOMI. 



d. Heart close to gills. Nostrils labial. Tongue 



not free. End of tail free, being without 

 fin-rays. Pectorals, when present, rudi- 

 mentary. Scaleless. 

 Vomerine teeth present 9. OPIIICHTHYS. 



e. Heart placed a long distance bahind the gills. 



Tail shorter than the trunk. Posterior 

 nostril in front of the eye. Vertical fins 

 little developed ; pectorals, if present, rudi- 

 mentary. 

 Eyes small. Cleft of mouth narrow. Teeth 



in a single row 10. MORINGUA. 



First group. MUR.ENID.E ENGYSCHIST^. 



1. Genus MUKENA, Artedi. 



Syn. Gymnothorax, Bloch ; Murainophis, Lace"p. ; Echidna, Forst. ; 

 ThccrodontiSj Strophidon, and Lycodontis, McClell. ; Sideru, Eurytnyctera, 

 Thyrsoidea, Limamureena, Polyuranodon, Pcecilopkis, Gymnomurtena, 

 Priodonophis, and Ta-niophis, Kaup ; Pseudomurcena, Johnson. 



Body moderately or exceedingly elongate. Gill-openings narrow. 

 A tubular nostril on either side of the upper surface of the snout; 

 the posterior nostril a round foramen between the eyes or opposite 

 the antero-superior edge of the eye, it may or may not be furnished 

 with a tube. Teeth well developed and acute or molariform ; the 

 maxillary teeth may be in one or t\vo rows. Dorsal fin elevated 

 or not so ; the end of the tail surrounded by fin, which is occasion- 

 ally rudimentary. Pectorals absent. 



Geof/rapMcal Distribution. Seas of tropical and temperate regions : 

 a few species ascend tidal rivers. 



The dentition in some of these fishes alters considerably with 

 age, whilst in others it is not constant in every individual of the 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 



A. Teeth pointed. The posterior nostrils not 



tubular. 



a. Tail and trunk of about the same length. 

 Teeth biserial. Black, with numerous 



yellow dots 1. M. meleagris, p. 70. 



Teeth biserial. Brownish yellow, with 



fine white spots, streaks, or marks, 



which may be lost in the adult 2. M. tile, p. 70. 



Teeth biserial. Greenish olive, with 



silvery dots along the lateral line 3. M. sathete, p. 77. 



Teeth uniserial. Dark purplish, covered 



with fine white spots 4. M, punctata, p. 77. 



Teeth uniserial. Yellow, with 18 to 20 



dark bands, 3 of which are on the 



head 5. M. rueppettii, p. 77. 



