337 



not free. Teeth pointed, conical, recurved, uniserial in the 

 jaws and on the vomer. Gillopenings narrow, inferior or sub- 

 inferior slits. Heart placed at some distance behind the gills. 

 The first branchial opening in pharynx is wide, the following 

 are narrow slits. 



Living in salt and brackish water, buried in mud, sand or 

 gravel; near shore, on reefs or in the mouth of rivers. 



Distribution: Eastern part of the indo-pacific region, 

 north to the Riu Kiu Islands, south to North Australia. 



i. Moringua Gray. 



(J. E. GRAY, The Zoological Miscellany 1831, p. 9). 



For characters and distribution of the single genus see 

 those of the family. 



Artificial key to the indo-australian species 

 of Moringua. 



A. Dorsal and anal, at least anteriorly and posteriorly, 

 provided with visible rays, they are lower in the 

 middle. (Moringua Bleeker). 



I. Distance of anal from anus more than length 



of head M. bicolor p. 338. 



II. Distance of anal from anus somewhat more or 

 much less than half length of head. 



1. Distance of dorsal from anal more than half 



length of head. Pectorals vistigial M. microchir p. 338. 



2. Distance of dorsal from anal much less than 

 half length of head. 



a. Distance of anal from anus half or some- 

 what more than half length of head. Pec- 

 torals 5 7 times in head M. macrochir p. 339. 



b. Distance of anal from anus one fourth or 

 less of length of head. Pectorals 4 to more 



than 5 times in head M. floresiana p. 340. 



B. Dorsal and anal fins reduced to a low fold, with a 

 few feeble rays at the extreme tip of the tail only. 

 (Ap hi ha Imichthys K au p) . 



1. Height 34 405 head 8.7 9.9 M. macrocephala p. 341. 



2. Height 40 58; head 6.1 8.1 M. abbreviata p. 341. 



3. Height 67 955 head 12 22 M. javanlca p. 342. 



INDO-AUSTRALIAN FISHES III. 22 



