4i6 



Memoirs of the Indian Museum. 



[Vol. V, 



Ashauti, West Africa 



Do. .. 



Hawaii 



Do. .. 



Hong Kong, China 



Do. .. 



Philippine Islands 



Do. .. 



Java 



Do. .. 



genus we are not at present concerned, as the Chilka species differs from all of the 



new species in proportions, etc. It should, however, be mentioned that Bean and 



Weed {of .cit.), after examining a large number of specimens belonging to the genus 



from different localities, felt that all these new species proposed by Regan were only 



closely allied forms. The Chilka species differs considerably from E. hawaiensis and 



the other new species proposed and described by Tate Regan. It comes nearest 



on the whole to E. saur us, Iyinn., re-described by Regan in his revision, except in the 



number of vertebrae. Bean and Weed (op.cit.) ascertained the number of vertebrae 



in different groups according to localities. These figures are interesting and are 



quoted below : — 



East Coast of America (Skeleton) . . . . . . 75 1 



West Coast of America (Radiograph) . . . . . . . . 79I 



69! 

 68J 



654 



65* 

 65* 



In the Chilka forms the number of vertebrae is sixty-six, following Tate Regan's 

 method of counting the upwardly directed hypural portion as representing three 

 vertebrae. 



For comparison the proportions of measurements of the Chilka specimens are 

 given below. The total length of those collected is from 280 mm. to 340 mm., but the 

 fish is said to grow considerably bigger. 



The depth of the body is contained nearly six and a half times in the total length 

 (without caudal), the length of the head four and a half times. The length of the 

 snout is equal to the diameter of the eye as well as to the inter-orbital width, which 

 is contained four and a half times in the length of the head. The maxillary bone 

 extends considerably beyond the eye ; the lower jaw is included inside the upper when 

 the mouth is closed. The length of the gular plate is two- thirds of the length of the 

 lower jaw, which is again four-seventh times the length of the head. The number 

 of branchiostegal rays is twenty-eight. The number of the scales in the longitudinal 

 series in the lateral line is one hundred and two, in the transverse series above the 

 lateral line there are fourteen rows of scales, fifteen rows below the lateral line, and 

 there are twelve rows of scales between the lateral line and the ventral fins. The dor- 

 sal fin contains twenty-four rays of which eighteen are branched. The anal fin has 

 thirteen branched rays out of a total of sixteen. The length of the pectoral fin is 

 slightly greater than half the length of the head. The depth of the caudal peduncle 

 is a little less than three-eighths of the length of the head. The number of 

 vertebrae is 66. 



The fish is found in large numbers during the winter months in the main area of 

 the lake, but probably does not breed in it as there is not a single young specimen in 

 the collection. 



Distribution : — The Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, entering the estuaries. 



