129 



Belone choram Day, Fishes of India 4, 1878 1888, p. 510 (not figure). 

 Tylosurus crocodilus Fowler, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philadelphia (2) XII. 1904, 



p. 501, pi. IX, upper fig. 



Tylosurus choram Scale, Occas. Pap. B. P. B. Mus. IV. 1906, p. 12. 

 Belone choram Giinther, Fische der Stidsee, Heft VIII. 1909, p. 351. 

 Strongylnra crocodila Fowler, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philadelphia LXXI. 1919, p. 5. 



D. 2223; A. 1921; P. 14; V. 6; L.I.? 



Subcylindrical, the breadth of the body going I } / 5 in its length. 

 Height 15 in total length. Head 3, its upper surface with a 

 broad and very shallow median groove; superciliary region 

 striated. Eye twice in postorbital part of head, somewhat less 

 than interorbital space and 6 times in snout. Suborbital part 

 of head twice in eye. Maxillary nearly entirely hidden by 

 praeorbital. Operculum not scaly. Canines strong. Tongue 

 covered with tubercular asperities. Pectorals about equal to 

 postorbital part of head, ventrals only a little shorter. Base 

 of ventrals midway between hindmargin of eye and base of 

 caudal. The middle and hinder dorsal rays are very slender 

 and somewhat prolonged. Origin of dorsal behind that of anal. 

 The lateral line forms a very slight keel on the caudal peduncle. 

 Caudal forked. Length over 1000 mm. [After GUNTHER, DAY 

 and KLUNZINGER, not seen by us]. 



Habitat: Singapore; Sumatra (Padang); Celebes (Menado); 

 Ambon ; Misol. - - From East coast of Africa and Red Sea 

 through Indian Ocean to Tonkin, Duke of York Islands, Solo- 

 mon Islands and Tahiti. 



Note. It is astonishing to see that the specific name choram 

 has been attributed by almost every author to FORSKaL, 

 whereas FORSKaL called the species Esox belone. Only at the 

 end of the very short description we read: "Arab. Chaerman 

 vel Choram." 



RUPPELL was the first to use the word choram as a specific 

 name, and he correctly called the species " Belone Choram 

 Riippell". But on the same page he introduced the mistake, 

 which has been made over and over again by all later authors 

 excepting VALENCIENNES when he said of the species 

 that it is: "bereits von FORSKaL as Esox Choram angedeutet 

 worden". 



9. Tylosurus punctulatus (Gthr.) [Fig. 48, p. 120]. 



Belone punctulata Giinther, Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1871, p. 670. 



D. 2.19; A. 2.18 19; P. 1.13; V. 1.5; L.I. circa 225. 

 INDOAUSTRALIAN FISHES IV. 9 



