512 PHTSOSTOMI. 



Hahitat.— Fresh waters of Sind, India, and Ceylon, also throngli Burma.* It attains at least 12 inctes 

 in length. 



6. Belone strongylurus. Plats CXVIII, fig. 6. 



Esox, Russell, Rsli. Vizag.ii, p. 61, and Kuddera, A. Plate 176. 



Belone strongylura, V. Hasselt, Bulletin de De Ferussac, 1823, Zool. p. 374; Giinther, Catal. vi, p. 246. 



Belmie ccmdimaculata, Cuv. Reg. Anim. ; Cuv. and Val. xviii, p. 462 ; Rich. Ich. Chiaa, p. 264 ; Bleeker, 

 Snoek, p. 12. and Beng. p. 72; Cantor, Catal. p. 246; Jerdon, M. J. L. and So. 1851, p. 147 ; Day, Fish. 

 Malabar, p. 164 ; Giinther, Catal. vi, p. 245. 



Mastacembelm strongylmus, Bleeker, Revis. Mastacem. p. 220, Atl. Ich. vi, p. 46, and Scombresoc. 

 t. xi, f. 3. 



Gungur, Siad. : Ooshee-collarchee and Goco-meen, ' Long-nosed fish," Tarn. : Wodlah-muhu, Tel. : 

 Thooh-o-doo-noo-dah, Andam. : Goplah, Mai. 



B. xii, D. 13-15, P. 11, V. 6, A. 16-18, C. 16. 



Length of head 2f to 3, of caudal 10, height of body 13 to- 14 in the total length. %es— diameter 3i 

 in the postorbital length of the head, 1 to IJ apart. A shallow median groove along the head, the superciliary 

 region scarcely striated. One-third of the maxillary concealed by the preorbital. Preoperole wide : opercle 

 rounded posteriorly. Teeth — in the jaws widely separated, sharp, straight, not very large. Vomerine teeth 

 absent. Fins — ventral arises midway between the orbit and the base of the caudal fii : anal in the last third 

 of body, its first 4 rays in advance of the dorsal, which last is highest in front, with the upper margin concave, 

 its posterior rays do not extend nearly to the root of the caudal fin : anal of the same shape. Pectoral nearly 

 as long as the postorbital portion of the head. Caudal rounded. Scales— BmaM, on the opercles and groove on 

 the head : 11 transverse rows between the lateral-line and base of the anterior rays of the dorsal fin. Lateral- 

 line— double. The free portion of the tail compressed, much deeper than wide and without any distinct lateral 

 keel. Oolowrs — summit of head and back yellowish-green, with minute brown dots, fading into silvery on the 

 sides, and white on the abdomen. Cheeks and opercles silvery. A deep blue longitudinal band, bordered 

 beneath by another broader one of silver, passes along the posterior half of the sides. Dorsal with a little 

 orange along its upper edge, it and sometimes the anal bright yellow, and the rays dotted with brown. 

 Pectoral and ventral diaphanous, the latter occasionally with a black spot at the base. Caudal yellowish or 

 greenish, minutely dotted with black, and having a round bluish-black spot in the centre near the root. Iris 

 silvery : upper surface of eye bluish-black. 



Dr. Giinther considers that B. strongylurus " is very closely allied to B. candimaeulata, but has always 

 the head shorter and the eye comparatively smaller." 



Habitat. — Seas and coasts of India and Burma to the Malay Archipelago. Sometimes it is taken in 

 estuaries and tidal rivers, it is not uncommon at Calcutta. It attains 2 feet or more in length. 



Genus, 2 — HEMIEHAMPHUS,t Guv. 



HyperTiampJims, Huleptorhamphus, Zena/rchopterus, and OmyporJiamphus, Gill. : Dermatogenys (K. and v. 

 Hass.), Peters : Hemirhamphodon, Bleeker: Arhamphus, Gwither. 

 Pari Icollarohee, Tamil. 



Bra/nahiostegals rather numerous. Gill-openings wide. Body suh-eylindrical and elongated. Eyes lateral. 

 TTpper jaw, which is formed hy the premaxillaries, is short and more or less triangular inform: whilst the lower 

 jaw, in the mature, is elongated far beyond the upper. A nasal barbel usually present. Teeth villiform in both jaws. 

 The number of dorsal and anal rays may be about equal, or either may be in excess of the other. The dorsal fiM may 

 commence anterior to, above, or behind the origin of the cmal : no jinlets posterior to the dorsal fin. Pectoral may or 

 may not be prolonged : caudal mostly forked or emarginate, sometimes rounded. Scales of moderate, or large, size : 

 air-vessel large, occasionally cellular. Dorsal and anal rays may be modified. Some species are viviparous. No 

 pyloric appendages. 



During the cold season of the year the roes of these fishes are largely collected on the Malabar coast of 

 India, where they are esteemed a great delicacy. 



* It has been brought from Ta young by Dr. J. Anderson, 

 t The BerimrMmphmoi have been thus sub-divided (see Bleelcer's Atlas, vi, p. 51.) 



I.— The portion of the lower jaw (beak) anterior to the conjoined premaxillaries, smooth and edentulous. 



Beak rudimentary, not hmger than the upper jaw. Caudal lobed, as Oi>>ypofhamp}ms=Arrhamp}ms. 



Beak much, longer than the upper jaw. The dorsal fin commencing above or anterior to the anal, as 1. Hemirhamphm— 

 Eyporhamphus. Body moderately elongate. Teeth in the jaws tricuspidate or conical. Caudal bilobed. 2. Euleptorhamphms. Body 

 vei7 elongate. Teeth in premaxillaries simple • tricuspidate in the lower jaw. Dorsal commencing above or anterior to the anal. 

 Caudal bilobed. 3. Zenarchopterus. Body moderately elongate. Conical teeth in the jaws. Dorsal commencing above or anterior to 

 the anal. Caudal not emarginate. The males may have one or more dorsal, or anal rays modified 4. Dermogenys. Body moderately 

 elongate. Dorsal considerably shorter, and commencing far behind the origin of the anal. Caudal rounded. Teeth conical. 

 II.— The portion of the lower jaw (beak) anterior to the conjoined premaxillaries, toothed. 



6. Bewdrhamphodon. Body moderately elongated. Dorsal fin commencing far before the anal, and twice as long as it. 

 Caudal rounded. Teeth conical. 



