FAMILY, XVI— CARANGID^. 229 



included Nmelerus amongst the Carcmgidm. Gill and Kner distinctly proved Nauclerus to be the young of 

 Nmcrates, in which the authors of the " Fishes of Zanzibar," p. 63, acquiesced and referred the Genus to 

 Garwngidce.* 



Habitat. — These " pilot fishes" are spread through all the seas of temperate and tropical regions. Most 

 travellers in sailing vessels have s^en them as close attendants upon sharks, leading them, as the sailors consider 

 to their prey. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Nmcrates dmtor, D. 3-6 | re-is^ -A- 0-2 | Ta-TT"- Kve to seven broad bluish vertical bands on the body. 



1. Naucrates ductor, Plate LI, A. fig. 2. 



Oasterostem dmdor, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 489 ; Brun. Pise. Mass. p. 67 ; Bennett, Whaling Voyage, ii, 

 p. 274. 



Gasterosteus antecessor, Dald. Skrivt. Nat. Selsk. Kjob. ii, p. 166. 



Scomber ductor, Bl. t. 338 ; Hasselq. Iter, p. 336 ; Mitchell, Trana. Lit. and Phil. Soc. New York, i, 

 p. 424. 



Scomber Koelreuteri, Bl. Schn. p. 570. 



Centronotus condkictor, Lacep, iii, p. 311 ; Risso. Ich. Nice, p. 428, and Eur. Merid. iii, p. 193 ; Conch. 

 Trans. Linn. Soc. xiv, p. 82. 



Namarates dmctor, Cuv. and VaL viii, p. 312, pi. 232 ; Yarrell, Brit. Fish, i, p. 170 ; Guichen, Exp. Alger. 

 Poiss. p. 60; Gunther, Catal. ii, p. 374; Klunz. Verb. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1871, p. 445. 



Naucrates Novehoracensis, Cuv. and Val. viii, p. 325. 



Naucrates Indicus, Cuv. and Val. viii, p. 326 ; Cuv. Eeg. Anim. HI. Poiss. pi. 54, f. 1 ; Less. Voy. Coq. 

 Zool. Poiss. p. 157, pi. xiv ; Richards. Ich. China, p. 269 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 145. 



Na/ucrates Koelreuteri, Cuv. and Val. viii, 327. 



NoMclerus cormpressus, Cuv. and Val. ix, p. 249, pi. 263 ; Gunther, Catal. ii, p. 469 (? young). 



Thyrmus ;poiwpilus, Gronov. ed. Gray, p. 123. 



B. vii, D. 3-6 | ^1^, P. 21, V. 1/5, A. 0-2 | t^E^t. C. 17, Ctec. pyl. 12-15, Vert. 10/16. 



Length of head 1^ to 2/9, of pectoral 1/8, of caudal 2/11, height of body 1/4 to 2/9 of the total length. 

 Eyes — diameter 1/5 of length of head. If diameters from end of snout. The greatest width of the head equals 

 3/5 of its length, and its height equals its length behind the posterior nostril. The maxilla extends to below the 

 anterior edgp of the orbit. Teeth — villiform in jaws, in a pyriform band on vomer, and a long patch on the 

 palatines, tongue rough. Fins — first dorsal spine short, second dorsal highest anteriorly, anal commences under 

 the middle of the second dorsal. Pectoral as long as the ventral, which reaches 2/5 of way to the base of the 

 anal, Caudal deeply forked. Scales — cycloid. Lateral-line — a little raised on the side of the tail. Colours — 

 bluish, with five or six dark vertical bands : caudal sometimes with the ends of the lobes white, and having a 

 dark band across their last third. Basal half of anal and centre of dorsal dark gray. 



Nauclerus abbrematus, C.V. Lowe, Giinther : N. braehycentrus, triacanthus, ammla/ris, and leu^v/rus, C.V. 

 and Gunther, are all probably young of this or closely allied species, having two pre-anal spines, and a more or 

 less serrated preopercle, &o. 



Habitat. — Seas of temperate and tropical regions. A specimen 7 inches long of the " pilot fish" is in the 

 Calcutta Museum, taken in the Indian Ocean by J. Hart, Esq., of the " Inflexible." 



.Genns, 6 — Choeinbmds, Cmi. cmd Val. 



Seomheroides, Lacep. 



Bra/nehiostegals seven or eight : pseudobra/nohice. Body oblong and compressed. Hyes lateral. Cleft of mouth 

 moderate or deep. Teeth in jaws, also present on vomer, palatines, and tongue. Two dorsal fms, the first (preceded 

 by am immoveable, recumbent spine, directed forwa/rds) has a groove at its base for its reception, it is formed by a 

 few free spines, but in a less nm/mber than the rays of the second dorsal or anal, the posterior rays of both of which last 

 a/re either detached or semi-detached ; a pavr of pre-anal spines s&pcurated by an interspace from the remainder of the 

 fin. Dermal scales mostly lanceolate. Lateral-line contirmous, not keeled. Air-vessel bifurcated' posteriorly. Pyloric 

 appendages numerous. 



Geographical distribution. — Red Sea, seas of India to thte Malay Archipelago : also foimd in tropical 

 parts of the Atlantic. 



Although this Genus is as a rule marine, the young ascend estuaries and tidal rivers, and it is not 

 uncommon to find them in the Hoogly at Calcutta. As food they are dry and rather tasteless, in this respect 

 resembling Tracfiynotus. 



* " A second question arises, whether NoMcrates should be referred to SconibridcB or Carcmgidcs. The two anal spines of the 

 young are separate from the soft portion : and although the number of caudal vertebra is increased by two, yet the number of 

 abdominal vertebrae remains the same : we are therefore inclined to remove this genus from the ScombWdce to the Cara/ngidos." (Fish. 

 Zauz. p. 63.) Blecker in the Family Lichoidei includes Naucrates, Ckorinemus, Trachiynotus, and Elacate. 



