POLYNEMIDiE. 425 



if developed. Scales small or of moderate size. Villiform teeth 

 in the jaws, on the vomer, and palatine hones. 



This family consists of a small mimber of species only, 

 which form two distinct genera, Pempluris and Kurtus. They 

 are shore fishes of tropical seas. In both the air-bladder 

 shows some peculiarity : in Pempheris it is divided into an 

 anterior and posterior portion ; ia K'urtus it is lodged within 

 the ribs, which are dilated, convex, forming rings. The 

 number of vertebrse is respectively twenty-four and twenty- 

 three. 



Fourth Division — Acanthopteeygii Polynemiformes. 



Two rather short dorsal fins, somewhat remote from each 

 other ; free filaments at the humeral arch, lelow the pectoral 

 fins ; muciferous cancds of the head well developed. 



One family only belongs to this division. 



Family — PoLYNEMiDiE. 



Body ohlong, rather compressed, covered with smooth or very 

 feebly ciliated scales. Lateral line continuous. Snout project- 

 ing beyond the mouth, which is inferior, with latercd cleft. Eye 

 Icderal, large. Villiform teeth in the jaws and on the palate. 

 Ventrals thoracic, with one spine and five rays. 



The fishes of this natural family have been divided, on 

 slight differences, into three genera — Polynemus, Pentanemus, 

 and Galeoides. They are found in rather numerous species 

 on the coasts between the tropics, and the majority enter 

 brackish or even fresh water. Very characteristic are the free 

 filaments which in this family are organs of touch ; they are 

 iuserted on the humeral arch at some distance from the pec- 

 toral fin ; but, nevertheless, can be regarded only as a detached 

 portion of that fin ; they can be moved quite independently 

 of the fin ; their number varies from three to fourteen, accord- 



