650 PHTSOSTOMI. 



B. xxix-xxxv, D. 22-24(TTtTo)> P- 19. V. 6, A. 15-17(t|:a^), C. 19, L. 1. 95-100, L. tr. 12/14. 



Length of liead 4| to 6, of caudal 5, lieigM of body 6 in the total length. Eyes — diameter 45 to 5 in 

 the length of head, 3/4 to 1 diameter from the end of snout, and the same apart. Body elongated, sub-fasiform ; 

 abdomen rather wide and smooth ; both profiles, nearly horizontal and of almost equal curves. The under jaw 

 slightly shorter than the upper, and rather thickened at its extremity : cleft of mouth oblique : the maxilla 

 extends to rather behind the posterior margin of the orbit. Teeth — numerous and villiform in both jaws, 

 while they are continued along the anterior edge of the maxilla : on vomer in a triangular patch, and also on 

 the palatines where there are about ten rows. Fms — dorsal commences rather nearer to the base of the caudal 

 fin than to the snout, it is highest in front with a concave upper edge : anal rather more concave than the 

 dorsal : caudal deeply lobed in its posterior three-fourths. Scales — a few fine rows form a sort of sheath to 

 dorsal and anal fins, also some over the root of caudal. Lateral-line — 11 rows of scales between it and the base 

 of the ventral fin. Colours — silvery : fins yellowish, with a greenish tinge. 



Habitat. — Red Sea, East coast of Africa, through the seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 

 It attains a considerable length. 



Genus, 13 — Megalops, Commerson. 



Branohiostegals nmnerous ; pseudohranehice absent. Oill-membranes entirely separated. Body oblong and 

 com/pressed. Mouth anterior, lower jatv prominent. Anarrow bony plate adherent to the symphysis of the mandibles, 

 and covering the space intermediate between the two bones. Villiform teeth in the jaws, vomer, palatine, and pterygoid 

 bones, also on the base of shull and on the tongue. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Megalops cyrinoides, D. 19-21, A. 24-27, L. 1. 37-42. East coast of Africa, seas and estuaries of India 

 to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



1. Megalops cyprinoides, Plate CLIX, fig. 3. 



Chipea cyprinoides, Brouss. Ich. t. ix ; Porst Desc. An. ed. Licht. p. 296 ; Bonn. Eney. Ich. p. 187, t. 75 j 

 Lacep. V, pi. 13, f. 3 ; Bl. Schn. p. 427 ; Russell, ii, p. 81, and Kundinga, pi. 203. 



Megalops filamentosus, Lacep. v, pp. 289, 290, t. 13, f . 3 ; Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 293 ; Bleeker, Ned. 

 Tyds. Dierk. iii, 1866, p. 286, and Atl. Ich. vi, p. 86, t. 273 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1849, p. 344. 



Cyprinodon cundinga. Ham. Buch. pp. 254, 383. 



Megalops cyprvnoides, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 292 ; Giinther, Catal. vii, p. 471. 



Megalops setipinnis, Richardson, An. Nat. Hist, xi, p. 493, Ich. China, p. 310. 



Megalops curtifiMs, Richardson, Ich. China, p. 310. 



Megalops Indicus, Cuv. and Val. xix, p. 388, pi. 542; Bleeker, Chiroc. p. 15 ; Kner, Novara Fische, 

 p. 339. 



Slops eundinga. Cantor, Catal. p. 289. 



Megalops macrophthalmus, Bleeker, 1. c. and Atl. Ich. vi, p. 85, t. 273, f. 2. 



Megalops macropterus, cyprinoides and oligolepis, Bleeker, Ned. Tyds. Dierk. iii, 1866, p. 284. 



Megalops cimdinga, Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 146 : Bleeker, 1. c. and Atl. Ich. vi, p. 87, 

 t. 274, f. 1. r , , f , 



Mops apalike. Day, Fishes of Malabar, p. 228. 



Pwrniikowu and Naharn, Ooriah : Otmnay, Mai. : Moran cimdai, Tamil. : Nga-tan-youet, Burmese. 



B. xxiv-xxvi, D. 19-21(t7?„), P. 15-16, V. 10, A. 24-27(^.%_). 0. 19, L. 1. 37-42, L. tr. 5-6/6. 



Length of head 4i to 5, of caudal fin 4 to 5, height of body 4| to 5 in the total length. Eyes—vrith 

 narrow adipose lids, diameter 3^ to 3\ in the length of head, about 1/2 a diameter from end of snout and also 

 apart : the size of the eye in large specimens is frequently comparatively larger than in small ones. Lower jaw 

 prominent : the maxilla reaches to opposite the hind edge of the eye. TeeiA— villiform in both jaws, on the 

 vomer, palatines, pterygoids, and sphenoid. J%s— dorsal commences opposite the ventral and about midway 

 between the snout and base of the caudal fin, it is 2/3 as high as the body below it, its upper edge concave, and 

 its last ray prolonged. Caudal deeply lobed, the lobes rather more expanded in the im9kaSure than in the adult 

 fish. Lateral-line— eaoh tube terminating posteriorly in 6 or 8 branches. OoZoMrs— summit of head dark olive, 

 back bluish-green in the adult, lighter in the immature. Abdomen silvery, with bluish reflections. The 

 margins of the scales of a brilliant silver, as are also the lateral-line and the sides of the head. The centre of 

 the jaws black. Dorsal and caudal grayish, minutely dotted with black, and the margins blackish, as is also 

 the last elongated dorsal ray. Pectoral, ventral, and anal diaphanous, with some black dots, the last anal ray 

 dark. Eyes silvery, with the orbital margin having a dark tint. The pupils are oval pointing downwards. 



Bleeker divided his eight examples of the above into 4 species, thus : — 



A.— Height of body 3f to 4| in its length. Eyes 3 to 5 in length of head. This included M. macropterM 

 with length of base of anal fin 6, of head 3^ to 4 in that of the body ; M. filamentosus, anal 5i, head 4 ; M. 

 hundinga, anal 6, head 3^. 



