360 ACANTHOPTERTGII. 



Family, XXXV— AULOSTOMATEID^, Cantor. 



FistulcmdcB, pt, Mull, ; Aulostomatoidei, pt., Bleeker. 



Branchiostegals five to seven: pseudobranchisB. Gills four. Form of body elongated: the anterior 

 bones of the skull produced, forming a long tube, and having a small mouth at its anterior extremity. Teeth 

 small. Spinous dorsal, when present, formed of isolated spines : soft dorsal and anal of moderate length : 

 ventrals abdominal with six rays, no spine, and separated from the pubic bones which are attached to 

 the humeral arch. Scales small or none, but parts of the skeleton or else dermal productions may 

 be in the form of external plates. Air-vessel large. Pyloric appendages few. Vertebrae numerous. 



Dr. Gunther observes that in AulostomateidcB " the ventrals have an abdominal position in consequence of 

 the prolongation of the pubic bones, which are attached to the humeral arch." In the CentriscidcB on the 

 contrary we find the "ventral fins truly abdominal, imperfectly developed." 



Genus, 1 — ^FiSTULABiA, Immceus. 



Solmostomus, sp. Klein and Gronov. ; GcmnorhynoMs, Cantor. 



Branchiostegals seven. Mouth slightly cleft. Dorsal and wnal jkis composed entirely of imdivided rays : 

 caudal forJced, with one or two of its central rays very elongated and filiform. No scales, but some bony easing 

 behind the head above and below. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 

 1. Fistulama serrata, D. 13-15, A. 14-15. Immaculate. 



1. Fistularia serrata, Plate LXXVI, fig. 3. 



Fistularla talacearia, White, Voy. Bot. Bay, p. 296, £. 2 ; Linn. p. 515. 



Fistularia tabaccaria, var. Bl. viii, p. 130, t. 387, f. 2, 3 ; Bl. Schn. p. 114 ; Russell, Fish. Vizag. ii, p. 58, 

 and Goorwm, pi. 173. s 



Fistularia set'rata, Cuv. Reg. Anim. : Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 533 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 238 ; Klunz. 

 Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1871, p. 615. 



FistulaHa vmmaeulata, Cuv. Reg. Anim. ; Richards. Ich. China, p. 247 ; Tem. and Schleg. Fauna Japon. 

 Poiss. p. 320 ; Bleeker, Amb. and Ceram. p. 281, and Japan, p. 11 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1861, p. 140. 



Fistularria GommersonU, Riipp. N. W. Fische, p. 142 ; Peters, Wiegm. Arch. 1855, p. 258. 



Ga/rmorhynchus im/maaUlatus, Cantor, Catal. p. 211. 



Ga/rmorhynchuiS serratus, Bleeker, Arou. 1873, p. 3, and Fish. Madagascar, p. 74. 



B. vii, D. 13-15, P. 13, V. 1/5, A. 14-15, C. 10/1/ld. 



Length of head 2/5 to the end of tail (excluding the filament). Eyes — 1|- diameters in the postorHtal 

 portion of the head. A serrated ridge from the anterior superior angle of the eye to the nostrU. Fins — the 

 rays undivided. Colours — brown, dirty white beneath : occasionally light spots on the back and sides. 



At the Andaman islands I found this fish frequenting the most muddy localities ; it is common at Madras. 



Dr. Le VaiUant has lately (1874) shown that the elongated central ray from the taU fin of this fish has 

 been employed in the manufacture of the interesting Serranus phaeton, Cuv. and Val. ii, p. 310, pi. 34 ; Giinther, 

 Catal. i, p. 100, distinguished from all others of the genus by the presence of a deeply forked caudal fin, having 

 the middle ray much elongated. 



Habitat. — From the East coast of Africa, through the seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, China, and 

 New Holland. 



