518 PHYSOSTOMI. 



GeiiuB, 3 — ExoccBTUS, ArteiM. 



Cypsilurus, Swains. : Halooypselus, Weinland. : Parexoccetus, Bleeker. 



Body moderately oUong. Gill-openings very wide. Jaws short : the premaxillaries and maxillaries separate. 

 Maiidille in some species with a tubercular prolongation. Barbels present or absent. Teeth, when present, nwmte 

 and rudimentary. Pectorals elongated, used as an organ for flying : the dorsal fin may be nmch or only moderately 

 elevated ■: ventrals long, short, or of moderate length. Air-vessel large. Pyloric appendages absent. 



Genus Parexocmtus, Bleeker, was instituted for tte reception of those species (as E. mento, C.V.) wHcli 

 have no barbels, but the lower jaw with a short tubercular prolongation as if an indication of an aborted 

 attempt at the elongation seen in Hemirhamphi. Teeth in both jaws, vomer, palatines, tongue and pterygoids. 



As many species of flying-fish are only known from young specimens, the size of the eye, and the length 

 of the fins as given in descriptions must be accepted with a reservation, in fact it is necessary that the length of 

 the specimen should be recorded. Barbels in some species may be an indication that the fish is immature, so 

 may likewise vertical bands* on the body. 



Geographical distribution. — Seas of temperate and tropical regions. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Uxoccetus micropterus, D. 15-16, A. 14-15, L. 1. 60. A pair of barbels. Vertical fins low. Ventral 

 midway between bases of pectoral and caudal fins. Malabar to the Malay Archipelago. 



2. BxocoBtus pmcilopterus, D. 12-14, A. 9-10, L. 1. 54. Pectoral reaching base of caudal. Ventral long, it 

 arises between head and base of caudal. Pectoral with black blotches. Seas of India to the Malay Archi- 

 pelago. 



3. Exoccetus evoloMs, D. 12-14, A. 13-15, L. 1. 40-42. Pectoral reaches the base of the caudal. Ventral 

 short, inserted nearer snout than base of the caudal. Tropical and intra-tropical seas. i 



4. Exoccetus furcatus, D. 13, A. 9-10. A pair of barbels at symphysis. Ventral inserted nearer caudal 

 than front end of snout. Indian and Atlantic Oceans. 



5. Exoccetus Bahiensis, D. 12-13, A. 9-10, L. 1. 50. Ventral inserted midway between snout and posterior 

 .end of upper caudal lobe. Red Sea to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



6. Exoccetus mento, D. 10-11, A. 10-11, L. 1. 44. Lower jaw slightly produced at the symphysis. 

 Ventral inserted midway between the - front edge of eye and base of caudal fin. East coast of Africa, seas of 

 India to the Malay Archipelago. 



1. Exoccetus micropterus. 



Cuv. and Val. xix, p. 127, pi. 563 ; Bleeker, Amb. p. 63, and Atl. Ich. vi, p. 77 ; Giinther, Catal. vi, 

 p. 279. 



Cypsiluri micropteri, Bleeker, Exocoet. p. 128, and Atl. Ich. vi, Scomb. t. ui, f. 1. 



B. xiii, D. 16-16, P. 11-12, V. 6, A. 14-15, C. 15, L. 1. 60. 



Length of head 5i, of caudal 5, height of body 7i in the total length. Eyes — diameter 3| in the length 

 of the head, nearly 1 diameter from the end of snout. A pair of short barbels under the symphysis of the lower 

 jaw, which is prominent. Fins — the dorsal commences a little anterior to the anal, and in the last fourth of the 

 body, its rays are not prolonged, the highest scarcely exceeding Ij diameters of the orbit : upper edge of the 

 fin rather convex. Pectoral not reaching so far as to the ventral, the latter, which is inserted midway between 

 the base of the pectoral and caudal, not extending to the anal. Anal of the same shape as the dorsal. Lower 

 caudal lobe the longer. Colours — bluish above : silvery on the sides and beneath : fins dark. 



Habitat. — Malabar to the Malay Archipelago. 



2. Exoccetus pcecilopterus, Plate CXX, fig. 4. 



Cuv. and Val. xix, p. 112, p. 661 ; Giinther, Catal. vi, p. 291 ; Bleeker, Atl. Ich. vi, p. 74, and Scomb. 

 t. v, f. 6. 



Parravay-holah, Tamil. 



D. 12-14, P. 14, V. 6, A. 9-10, C. 15, L. 1. 54. 



Length of head 5 to 6|, of caudal 4f to ^, height of body 6\ in the total length. %es— diameter 2| to 

 3 in the length of head, i a diameter from end of snout, and 1 apart. The greatest height of the head equals 

 its length excluding the snout, upper surface of the liead roughened. Lower jaw the longer. Barbels — absent. 

 Fms— dorsal commences some way in front of the anal, the height of its anterior rays 1/10 of the total length, 

 the distance between the first dorsal ray and the base of caudal fin rather exceeds the length of the head, 30-32 

 scales between occiput and origin of the dorsal fin : ventral arises somewhat nearer the base of the caudal than 



* Vertical bands in Semirhamphi, and many of the ScombresocidtB, &c., are usually a sign that the species is immature. 



