CLUPEA. 89 



CLUPEID^E. 



Margin of the upper jaw formed by the prsemaxillaries and the maxillaries, the latter 

 the more developed ; supraoccipital bone separating the small parietals ; opercular 

 bones well developed. Ribs mostly sessile, inserted behind parapophyses ; inter- 

 muscular bones (epineurals, epipleurals, adpleurals) usually numerous. Pectoral fins 

 low down, folding against the body ; postclavicle applied to outer side of clavicle. 

 Head scaleless. Air-bladder communicating with the ear. 



A large family of mostly marine fishes, represented in the Nile by a single 

 anadromous species of the genus Clupea. 



1. CLUPEA. 



Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 522 (1766), part. ; Gunther, Cat. Fish. vii. p. 412 (1868). 



Mouth moderate or large ; teeth small or absent; upper jaw not projecting beyond 

 the lower ; maxillary formed of three pieces. Branchiostegal rays 6 to 10. Body 

 compressed, with an abdominal serrature formed of bony scutes ; scales moderate or 

 large ; no lateral line. Dorsal fin short, opposite to the ventrals and anterior to the 

 anal, which is more elongate. Vertebrae 40 to 59. 



Of almost cosmopolitan distribution. 



1. CLUPEA FINTA. 

 (Plate XIV. fig. 2.) 



Clupea alosa, Linnaeus, in Hasselquist, Reise Pabest. p. 430 (1762), and Syst. Nat. i. p. 523 (1766), 



part. 

 Clupea sprattus (non Linnaeus), Sonnini, Voy. Egypte, ii. p. 296, pi. xxiii. fig. 3 (1799). 

 Clupea nilotica, I. Geoflfroy, Deser. Egypte, Poiss. p. 286, pi. x. fig. 1 (1827). 

 Clupea finta, Cuvier, Regne Anim. ii. 2nd ed. p. 320 (1829) ; Gunther, Cat. Fish. vii. p. 435 



(1868), and Petherick's Trav. ii. p. 264 (1869). 

 Alosa finta, Ruppell, Beschr. n. Fische Nil, p. 5 (1829). 

 Alausa vulgaris, part., Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Poiss. xx. p. 391 (1847). 



Body strongly compressed, its depth three and two-fifths to three and two-thirds 

 times in the total length ; length of head three and two-thirds to five times. Top of 

 head somewhat concave, the concavity bordered by two oblique ridges converging on 



N 



