176 ACAIfTHOPTERTGII. 



Family, XI— POLYNEMID^. 



Branchiostegals seven: pseudobrancMae. Body oblong, somewhat compressed. Eyes large, lateral, 

 more or less covered by an adipose membrane: mouth on the lower side of a prominent snout, and having a 

 lateral cleft. Muciferous system on the head well developed. Villiform teeth on the jaws, and palatines : 

 present or absent on the vomer. Two dorsal fins : several free and articulated appendages below the pectoral 

 fin : ventrals thoracic, with one spine and five rays. Scales finely ctenoid or cycloid, and more or less covering 

 the vertical fins. Lateral-line continuous, continued on to the caudal fin. Air-vessel, when present, varying 

 in form and structure. Pyloric appendages of varying numbers. 



Geographical distribution. — Seas of India to the Pacific, also tropical portions of the Atlantic, not found 

 in the Red Sea. 



SYNOPSIS OP INDIYIDTJAL GENUS. 



Genus, 1 — Folynemus. Definition as in the Pamily. 



Uses. — These fish are aU excellent as food, and from some, rough isinglass or fish-sounds are obtained and 

 exported ia large quantities. 



Genus, 1 — ^Poltnemus,* Lmn. 



Trichidion, Klein ; Polistonemus, Gill ; Eleutheronema, Bleeker. 



Preoperde serrated. Teeth villiform on the jaws, palatines, vomer, and pterygoid hones. First dorsal Jm with 

 seven or eight weak spines ; soft dorsal and anal of nearly equal extent : pectoral rays simple or branched and hamng 

 a va/rying rmmher of free ones (3-7) at the base of the fin. Scales ctenoid, rath-er small, extended on to the vertical 

 fins. Air-vessel, when present, varying in form, size, and structure. Pyloric appendages few, in moderate numhers, 

 or many. 



SYNOPSIS OP SPECIES. 



1. Polynemus paradiseus, D. 7 | ts-tS) ^- Ai ^- 1- ^0- Seven free pectoral rays, the three upper being 

 twice as long as the fish. No air-vessel. Golden colour. Upper part of Bay of Bengal to flie Malay 

 Archipelago, entering rivers. 



2. PoTynerrms heptadactylus, D. 8 [ xaiiTi -^- TT-Ta. ^- 1- 50-52. Seven free pectoral rays reaching the 

 base of the anal. No air-vessel. Golden, pectoral black, vertical fins with dark edges. 



3. Folynemus xanthonemus, D. 8 | J^, A. tt?T2-- Sis free pectoral rays reaching beyond the tip of the 

 ventral. No air-vessel. Fius edged with black. Seas of India to China. 



4. Polynenms sextarius, D. 8 | -rg^^^, A. x^-ts^ ^- 1- 48-50. Six free pectoral rays reaching to the middle 

 or end of the veitral fin. Air-vessel small and simple. Upper half of dorsal, pectoral, and outer part of 

 ventral black. A large black shoulder-spot. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



5. Polynenms sexfilis, D. 8 | j^i^g, A. y^-Ta-. L- 1- 46. Six free pectoral rays reaching rather beyond the 

 ventrals. Air-vessel large. Golden, pectoral black : dorsal and anal black-edged. Seas of India to the Malay 

 Archipelago. 



6. Poh/nemus Indicus, D. 8 1 j^hj^, A. ^Zj^, L. 1. 70-75. Five free pectoral rays reaching nearly to the 

 anal fin. Air-vessel long and narrow. Vertical fins dark edged. Seas of India to Australia. 



7. Polynenms plebeim, B. 8 \ ^, A. Vr. L. 1. 60-65. Five free pectoral rays reaching to the end of the 

 ventral fin. Air-vessel present. Golden, with grey longitudinal bands. Seas of India to China. 



8. Polynenms tetradactylus, D. 8 | xrirr. A. yflf^, L. 1. 75-85. Pour free pectoral rays reaching to the 

 end of the ventral. Air-vessel absent. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and China. 



1. Folynemus paradiseus, Plate XLII, fig. 4 

 Folynemus paradiseus, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 1401 ; EusseU, ii, p. 69, pi. 185 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 320. 

 Folynemus nsua, aureus, toposui. Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 228, 232, 381 



Folynemus longifilis, Cuv. and Val. iii, p. 365, and vii, p. 512; Bleeker, Bengal, p. 91, and Enum. Spec. 

 Ind. Arch. p. 245, (not Borneo, ii, p. 268, and vi, p. 418.) ' e> ' f , f 



Trichidion pa/radiseus, Bleeker, Fish. Madagascar, p. 78. 

 Tupsee muchee, Beng. ; Nga-poongna, Burm. Mamgoefish. 



B. vii, D. 7 I T^^Te. P- 15+vii, V. 1/5, A. ^, C. 19, L. 1. 70, L. ti-. 6/14, Vert. 10/15, Cac. pyl. 5(10). 



w 1 1 ^!??*^ ^ ^^^ ?/^? ^ -^Z?' °^ P^''*°^l 2/5 to 1/4, of caudal 3i to SJ, height of body 2/13 to 1/6 of the 

 total length. %es— minute m the young, in the adult diameter 1/8 of length of head, 2 diameters from end of 



* KaU, Tam.: Nut-tiah, Mugh. 



