centre of eye 2 -20, width of head through centre of each eye 

 2-40 in the length of the head (without lower jaw). Free 

 portion of lower jaw (beak) more than twice the length of the 

 remainder of the head. 



Body very long and slender, greatly compressed, the sides 

 flattened, and the middle of the back with a sub-carinate ridge. 

 Head compressed, somewhat flattened on top, the lower surface 

 narrowly constricted. Eye, round, large ; its diameter contained 

 1-20 in the length of the postorbital space, and equal to the 

 width of the interorbital space, which is broad and in the centre 

 concave. Top of head posteriorly convex. Nasal cavity of 

 moderate size, deep, and with a well developed fleshy flap. 

 Gill-opening large ; the isthmus long thin and narrow. Gill- 

 rakers fairly short, moderately numerous, somewhat slender and 

 pointed. No pseudobranchi?e. Tongue rather thick flattened 

 and fleshy. 



Teeth in small villiform bands on jaws and vomer. 



Fins : Dorsal begins well in advance of anal ; rays long and 

 weak ; longest ray 1-30 in the length of the head (without lower 

 jaw), and 8*80 in the length from point of snout to insertion of 

 caudal fin. Anal similar in shape to dorsal, but shorter, its 

 longest ray 1/50 in the length of the head (without lower jaw), 

 and 10-20 in the length from point of snout to insertion of 

 caudal fin. Pectoral very long, twice the length of the head 

 (without lower jaw), and 1'50 into the distance between its 

 insertion and that of the ventral fin. [When the pectoral is at 

 rest it is inclined obliquely downwards ; and, as the fin is trans- 

 versely concave (anteriorly), the pressure of the water against it 

 during the progress of the fish must constantly 'tend to keep the 

 fish at the surface of the water, and perhaps also to assist it 

 in taking flying leaps out of the water.] All the rays of the 

 pectoral are strong, and the uppermost one is very broad in the 

 basal third. Ventral very small ; its length equal to the 

 horizontal diameter of the eye ; its base a little posterior to the 

 centre of the distance between the bases of the pectoral and 

 caudal. Caudal deeply forked, the lower lobe much the longer. 



Scales of moderate size, thin, and deciduous. 



Lateral line well developed, running continuously along the 

 lower part of the body to the base of the caudal fin. 



