3 88 



Memoirs of the Indian Museum. 



[Vol. V, 



protuberance lies in front of the head above the mouth which I have called the frontal 

 prominence. The mouth is provided with fairly well developed pointed teeth. Later 

 post-larval stages would have shown interesting developments but unfortunately we 

 have not got them. 



Hemirhamphus limbatus, Cuv. and Val. 

 (Plate XVIII, figs. 1—6.) 



Young stages of this species were taken in all parts of the Chilka Lake in fresh as 

 well as in brackish water. 



Some of the specimens in this collection do not seem to have been well preserved. 

 However, a fairly gradual series of larval stages have been found, and the collection 

 therefore is interesting. I have sorted out the specimens and divided them into 13 

 distinct stages. Some of the specimens were stained with Borax Carmine, and others 

 with methylene blue. The latter brings certain structures, e.g., cartilaginous skeleton 

 and chromatophores, prominently into view and allows them to be traced for greater 

 distances than the former does. But, on the whole, I found specimens stained with 

 Borax Carmine more suitable for descriptive purposes. The accompanying table 

 shows the length in mm. of body, snout and gas-bladder of the 13 larval stages I am 

 going to describe. 



Stage. 



Length of body 



including snout and 



tail fin. 



Length of snout. 



Length of gas- 

 bladder. 



Remarks. 



I 



2-5 



•0841 



? 



Specimen not well preserved . 



II 



275 



•1069 



•1662 





III 



3 



•1187 



•2375 





IV 



V 

 VI 



375 

 6 



675 



•1306 

 ■1425 

 •1544 



•5770 



3 



3-125 



Fin-fold still continuous, but 

 slightly constricted towards 

 tail. 



More or less distinct tail fin : 

 fin-fold still slightly conti- 

 nuous. 



VII 



7'5 



•1781 



3'5 





VIII 



8 



•1900 



375 





IX 



8-5 



•2109 



4 





X 



10 



•2375 



4'5 





XI 



10-5 



•2612 



5 





XII 



11 



•2850 



5-25 





XIII 



12 



'3444 



575 



A young fish. 



