408 TELEOSTEI. PJIYSOSTOM1. 



abdominal edge between the throat and the insertion of the ventral 

 fin. Colour coppery brown above, with about 15 transverse silvery 

 bars joining over the back ; sides silvery ; fins stained with 

 greyish spots, which are like black stars in the caudal region, 

 placed in a single or double row close to the anal fin and some- 

 times extending the whole length of its base. 



Hob. Fresh waters of Sind, Lower Bengal, Orissa, Assam, 

 Burma, and Siam to the Malay Archipelago; attaining at least 

 4 feet in length. 



Family IX. SCOPELID.E. 



Branchiostegals as a rule numerous. Pseudobranchia3 well de- 

 veloped. Gill-openings very wide. Opercular pieces sometimes 

 incomplete. Margin of the upper jaw formed by the premaxillaries. 

 Barbels absent. Two dorsal fins, the posterior adipose. Scales 

 present or absent. Ova enclosed in sacs in the ovaries and ex- 

 cluded by oviducts. Intestinal canal short. Pyloric appendages, 

 when present, few in number. Air-bladder small or absent. 



Geographical Distribution. Throughout tropical, subtropical, 

 and temperate seas. These fishes in many respects are allied to 

 the Siluroids. 



Synopsis of Indian Genera. 



Caudal forked. V. 8, the inner rays much the longest . . 1. SAUHTTS. 

 Caudal forked. V. 9, inner rays scarcely longer than outer 2. SA UIUDA. 



Bones of head soft. V. 9. Caudal trilobed 3. HAIIPODON. 



Bones of head ossified. Caudal forked. Luminous spots 



along the body 4. SCOPELUS. 



1. Genus SAURUS, Cuvier. 

 Syn. Synodus, pt., Gronovius; Laurida, pt. (Aristotle), Swainson. 



Branchiostegals 8-17. Gill-membranes not attached to the 

 isthmus. Body elongate, subcylindrical. Gape of mouth wide, 

 cleft very deep ; edge of the upper jaw entirely formed by long 

 and thin premaxillaries ; the maxillary likewise elongate, thin, and 

 adherent to the premaxillaries. Teeth numerous, pointed, some 

 are elongate, slender, and can be laid downwards and inwards ; 

 they exist on the jaws, tongue, and palatine bones, a single band 

 on the palate and usually none or only a few on the vomer. First 

 dorsal situated nearly in the middle of the length of the fish ; 

 adipose fin small. Ventral with eight rays, the inner the longest : 

 it is inserted further in front than the origin of the dorsal and not 

 far behind the pectorals, which are short ; anal of moderate length 

 or short. Caudal forked. Scales of moderate size. Lateral line 

 entire. Pyloric appendages free. 





