FAMILY, XII— SCI^NIDiE. 181 



Family, XII— SCI^NID^, Cuv. 



BrancMostegals seven : pseudobranchise sometimes concealed, or even absent. Body somewhat com- 

 pressed and rather elongate. Byes lateral, of moderate or small size. Mouth in front of or below the snout. 

 Cheeks unarmed; opercles sometimes with weak spines. Barbels present in a few genera. Muciferous system 

 on the head well developed. Teeth in villiform bands, with the outer or inner row often enlarged : canines 

 present in some genera but neither cutting nor molar-form ones in the jaws : palate edentulous.. Two dorsal 

 fins, the spines of the first usually feeble (8-12), the second much more developed (22-43 rays) than the first : 

 anal with one or two spines and much fewer (5-16) rays than the second dorsal : pectoral rays branched : 

 ventrals thoracic with one spine and five rays. Scales ctenoid or cycloid, covering the head and snout, placed 

 in oblique and often sinuous rows on the body. Lateral line complete, often continued on to the caudal fin. 

 Stomach cffical. Air-vessel, when present, as a rule with branching or elongated appendages. Pyloric 

 appendages generally few. 



The number of rays in the soft dorsal fin are liable to considerable variation ia species belonging to this 

 family, whilst the caudal becomes more obtuse as the adult stage is arrived at. The scales, which are .placed in 

 oblique rows, often vary considerably in the number of pierced ones along the lateral-liae, and in those descending 

 or ascending to it, consequently it becomes necessary to enumerate what are present in each separate place. The 

 eye is comparatively very much smaller in adults of this fam.ily than it is in the immature. , 



Bleeker, Memoire snr les Sci6noides (1874), has shown that the dentition of these fishes forms a far better 

 guide to classification than the size and length of the second anal spine, &o. He also questions the utility of separating 

 Scimna (Artedi) 'Bleekev^Umbrina, Cuv. and Val. from Johnius (Bloch) Bleeker, simply because the former has 

 a central Tjarbel under the symphysis of the lower jaw. In my investigations I have found another species, Scicena 

 albida, 0. V. (or a Pseudoscioma, Bleeker), ia which a rudimentary barbel exists at each of the first lateral open 

 pores below the symphysis of the lower jaw, but obviously insufficient for the purpose of constituting a new 



Uses. — The air-vessels of many of these fishes are extensively collected along the coasts of India as they 

 afford isiaglass which is exported to Chiaa and elsewhere. As food however their flesh is rather tasteless whilst 

 young, and coarse when large, consequently in many localities, as Kurrachee or in Beloochistan, the sounds or 

 air-vessels are as valuable as the whole of the remainder of the fish. 



Ealitat. — Kliinzinger observes that from the Red Sea no representatives of the true Scijinidj: have been 

 recorded ; a few appear to be present along the East coast of Africa, whilst from Beloochistan and Sind throughout 

 the seas of India they are numerous, many entering estuaries and rivers, and although one species {8. coitor) is 

 often found far above tidal reach it still is only a visitor from the ocean. 



SYNOPSIS OP GENERA. 



1. Unibrma. Upper jaw overlappiag the lower. A central barbel under the symphysis of the lower jaw. 

 Pins as in Scicena. 



2. Scicena. Upper jaw overlapping the lower or both equal. Teeth villiform, with an outer enlarged 

 row ia the premaxUlaries and sometimes an inner enlarged series in the mandibles. No central barbel beneath the 

 chin; second dorsal fin i^ther long (23-32 rays). 



8. Sdomoides. Byes smaU : head broad and convex. Upper jaw overlapping the lower or both equal. 

 Teeth viUiform, with an outer much enlarged row in the premaxiUaries, and an inner conical series in the mandibles. 

 No barbels. Second dorsal fin elongated (27-43 rays). 



4. OtolitJms. Lower jaw prominent. Elongated and pointed canines in both jaws : a single row of widely 

 separated conical teeth in the lower jaw. No barbels. Second dorsal fin rather long (28-31 rays). 



Genus, 1 — ^Umbeina, Guv. 



Mentidrrlms and Cirrimens, Gill : Scicena (Artedi) Bleeker, 1874. 



BrancMostegals seven: pseudohrcmchice. Body ohlong and rather elongated. Eyes of moderate size. 

 Inierorlntal space rather hroad and somewhat cormex. Snout rotmded and overhanging the ujiperjaw, which latter is longer 

 than the Imoer. A central barbel present below the symphysis of the lower jaw. Teeth villiform, with the o^der row in 

 the premasdlla/ries enlarged: no eanines. Two dorsal fins, the first with 9-10 spines and connected at its base to the 

 second which is of moderate length (24-30 rays) : anal with two spines. Scales ctenoid or cycloid, extending over the 

 head and snout, amd more or less present on the vertical fms, and on that of the tail. Air-vessel present. Pyloric 

 appendages in m^deraie rmmbers or few. 



The open pores or orifices of some of the muciferous channels of the head are very distinct. There are 3 or 

 5 in a transverse row across the snout, whilst along the free edge of the skia as it crosses from one preorbital to 



* Absent in some American species. 



