264 



THE SPOTTED MASTACEMBELUS. 



able ; but as the head occupies so large a portion, the amount of flesh is rather small when 

 compared with the size of the fish. 



The family whicli now comes before our notice is in many ways remarkable, and deserves 

 some little attention before proceeding to the remaining fishes. 



In the Pistularidfe the snout is greatly prolonged, as in the preceding family, and bears 

 the mouth at the end of a bony tube. The body, however, is extremely long and snake-like, 

 and there is no long spine to the dorsal fin. There are only two genera in this family, the one 

 being covered with scales, and the other destitute of these appendages. 



The ToBACCO-PiPE Fisii is found in several parts of the tropical Atlantic, and is notable 

 for its very peculiar form. The body is without scales, and the tail-fin is deeply forked, the 



TOBACCO PI I' E ¥lS,)i.—Fistulana tabaccaria. 



two central rays being sometimes united and prolonged into a lengthened filament, and at 

 others separate, but still elongated. The outer edge of the tube is either smooth or very 

 slightly notched. The color of this fish is greenish olive, and the upper parts of the body 

 are marked with blue streaks and spots. In some specimens, the back takes a reddish 

 brown hue. 



There is a curious family of fishes, temied the Mastacembelidse, in which the body is 

 long and eel-like, covered with little scales, and remarkable for the odd-looking snout and its 

 appendage. 



In these strange-looking fishes, of which the Spotted Mastaoembelus {Mastacemhelus 

 maculdtus) is a good example, the dorsal fin is very long, its front portion consisting of a 

 number of short free spines. The anal fin is also furnished with similar spines, and the 

 ventral fins are altogether wanting. The gill -openings are reduced to a narrow slit, and the 

 movable appendage of the upper jaw is smooth on its under side. The jaws are furnished 

 with minute teeth, and the lower jaw is but slightly movable. In all the species of this genus, 

 with the exception of tlie Spotted Mastacembelus, the prseoperculum is armed at its angle 

 with small teeth. 



This species is found in the fresh waters of Java and Sumatra. The dorsal fin joins that 

 of the tail, which is again joined by the long anal fin. The color of the fish is brovra, diversi- 

 fied with darker blotches, and the fins are edged with yellow. 



