230 



rate or large, lateral. Mouth terminal or subinferior, usually 

 transverse, laterally not extended, or longitudinally cleft and 

 reaching even to below eye. Jaws equal or the lower included ; 

 intermaxillaries protractile. Maxillaries, which are often hidden 

 in a groove between intermaxillary and praeorbital, have no 

 supplemental bone. Teeth absent, or minute dermal, ciliiform 

 ones on lips, or true small teeth at least in upper jaw. First 

 dorsal with four stiff spines, second dorsal well separated from 

 first, longer than it and similar to anal, which has three weak 

 spines. Ventral fins abdominal, more or less approximated to 

 pectorals, which are situated in or above middle of height. 

 Pelvic bones not attached to cleithra, but firmly connected 

 with postclavicles. Caudal emarginate. Fins, except first dorsal, 

 usually more or less covered by scales. Third and fourth supe- 

 rior pharyngeals at each side anchylosed, not bearing teeth, 

 forming a complicated structure, which narrows the oesophageal 

 opening. Lower pharyngeals separate. Gillopenings wide. Gill- 

 membranes separate, free from isthmus. Branchiostegals 5 or 6. 

 Gillrakers long and slender, forming a filtering apparatus. 

 Vertebrae 24 26. 



Fishes of moderate size, living along the coasts and in 

 estuaries and freshwater of tropic and temperate regions. 

 Feeding on organic matter contained in mud and sand, which 

 is filtered by the gillrakers and swallowed, while larger and 

 indigestable parts are dejected. 



Key to the i ndo-australian Mugilidae. 



1. Cleft of mouth more or less transverse, its lateral extension 

 short and far distant from eye. Mandible with a sharp margin. 

 Upperlip fleshy or not, with or without papillae. Lips 

 sometimes ciliated by minute flexible dermal teeth ; no teeth 



on palate Mugil p. 231. 



2. Cleft of mouth extending on the sides of snout to below 

 eye. Upperlip thick; mandible included, with a rounded margin, 

 the lower lip being thick, with a transversal lamellated cushion- 

 like pad. True small teeth in a narrow band on intermaxil- 

 laries; two patches of teeth on vomer present or absent. . Cestraeus p. 260. 



3. Cleft of mouth extending on the sides of snout, not reaching 

 orbit. Upperlip fleshy. Anterior margin of mandible sharp; 

 lower lip thin, without a lamellated apparatus. Small teeth 



in a single series on intermaxillaries Myxus p. 264. 



