92 TELEOSTEI. PHTSOSTOMI. 



the head. Eyes 2 to 21 diameters in the length of the snout, 

 and 1 diameter apart. Teeth the vomerine are straight, com- 

 pressed, and with a basal lobe anteriorly and posteriorly : the 

 mandibular teeth are very much smaller than the vomerine, and 

 those in the external row are not bent outwards (as in M. talabo- 

 noides). Fins dorsal commences slightly in advance of the gill- 

 opening; pectoral contained 3 times in the length of head. 

 Colour silvery, becoming white on the abdomen; vertical tins 

 yellowish, with either a narrow or wide outer black edge ; pectoral 

 yellow or black. 



Hah. Eed Sea, seas and estuaries of India to the Malay Archi- 

 pelago and Australia. This is the most common species of the genus 

 in the seas of India. 



7. Genus SAURENCHELYS, Peters. 



Gill-openings of a moderate width. Snout much produced. 

 Nostrils lateral, the front one near the end of snout, the hind one 

 close in front of orbit. Teeth rather small and in several rows. 

 Pectoral fins absent ; vertical fins well developed. Air-bladder and 

 pyloric appendages absent. Scaleless. 



Geographical Distribution. Coromandel coast of India and the 

 Mediterranean. 



102. (1.) Saurenchelys petersi. (Fig. 39.) 

 Saurenchelys petersi, Day, Fish. India, p. 663, pi. ckviii, fig. 6. 



Length of head 2| times between end of snout and vent ; length 

 of trunk 31 times in that of the tail ; extent of the cleft of the 

 mouth half the length of the head. Eyes 3 diameters in the 



Fig. 39. Saurenchelys petersi. 



length of the snout, and one diameter apart. Teeth canines 

 present anteriorly ; the vomerine teeth large, compressed, but 

 without any basal lobes. Fins the dorsal commences a short dis- 

 tance behind the gill-opening; itislowanteriorly,becominggradually 

 more developed, and is continuous posteriorly with the anal. Pec- 

 torals absent. Colour dorsal fin with a dark edge ; it and the 

 anal become almost black in the last one fourth of their extent. 

 Hob. The single example was taken from the sea in Orissa. 



8. Genus MUILENICHTHYS, Bleeker. 



Body elongated and cylindrical. Gill-openings narrow. Eyes 

 small. Nostrils on the edge of the upper jaw. Dorsal fin low 



