TAMILT, X— MUR^NID^. 667 



Length of head from snout to gill-opening 5f in the distance from snout to vent : trunk at least 2/3 

 longer than tail. Cleft of mouth about 1/5 of the length of the head. Fins — a few rays at the end of the tail, 

 otherwise the vertical and pectoral fins are reduced to mere cutaneous folds. 



Habitat. — India and the Malay Archipelago. 



Second group — MurasnidsB engyschistse. 



Branchial openings in the pharynx are narrow spots. 



Genus, 9 — Muejina, sp. Artedi. 



Oymnothorax, Bloch : Mv/rmn/yphis, Lacep. : Echidna, Forst. : Thoerodontis, Strophidon, and Lycodontis, 

 McClell. : Sidera, JEwrymyctera, Thyrsoidea, Limamurcena, Polywramodon, Poecilophis, Gfymnomurcena, PriodonopMs, 

 and ToBniophis, Kaup : Pseudomurcena, Johnson. 



JBody moderately or exceedingly elongate. Gill-openings narrow. A tubular nostril on either side of the 

 wpper surface of the snout: the posterior nostril a round foramen between the eyes or opposite the antero-superior edge 

 of the eye, it may or ma/y not be fv/rnished with a tube. Teeth well developed and acute or molariform : the 

 maxilla/ry teeth may be in one or two rows. Dorsal fin elevated or not so : the end of the tail surrounded by fin, 

 which is occasionally rudimentary. Pectorals absent. 



Geographical distribution. — Seas of tropical and temperate regions : some species ascend tidal rivers. 



The dentition in some of these fishes alters considerably with age, whilst in others it is not constant in 

 every individual of the same species. 



SYNOPSIS or INDIAN SPECIES. 



A. — Teeth pointed : the posterior nostrils not tubular. 

 a. — Tail and trunJc of about the same length. 



1. Murcena meleagris. Teeth biserial. Black with numerous yellow dots. From East Coast of Africa 

 and Indian Ocean to the Malay Archipelago and the Pacific. 



2. Mu/rcena tile. Teeth biserial. Brownish yallow with fine white spots, streaks, or marks : and which 

 may be lost in the adult. Seas and estuaries of Bengal to the Malay Archipelago. 



3. Murcena sathete. Teeth biserial. Greenish-olive with silvery dots along the lateral-line. Bay of 

 Bengal to Pinang. 



4. Murcena fimctata. Teeth uniserial. Dark purplish covered with fine white spots. Coromandel 

 coast of India. 



5. Murcena Ewppellii. Teeth uniserial. Yellow with 18 to 20 dark bands, 3 of which are on the head. 

 Andamans to the Malay Archipelago. 



6. Murcena reticularis. Teeth uniserial. About 16 dark bands encircle body, none being on the head. 

 Seas of India to China and Japan. 



7. Murcena pwnetatofasciata. Teeth uniserial. From 28 to 35 more or less complete dark bands : head 

 with dark marks. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



8. Mwrcena tessellata. Teeth uniserial. Dark spots on head, body and fins, separated by narrow hght 

 lines or interspaces. East Coast of Africa, seas of India to China. 



9. Murcena fmbriata. Teeth uniserial. Olive-brown : a few dark spots on head, and many irregular 

 ones on body and tins. Madagascar, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



10. Mwrcena pseudothyrsoidea. Teeth uniserial. Brown covered with fine spots on hea^ and body 

 amongst which are reticulated yellow Hues : a black spot usually exists at gill-openmg. Smd, seas of India to 



the Malay Archipelago. , . , . , j i x.i j. i. j 



11. Mwrcena undulata. Teeth uniserial. Light brown covered with irregular dark blotches and 

 usually reticulated lines, most distinct in the posterior half of the body. Red Sea, East Coast of Africa, seas of 



India to the Pacific. ,j. <• j. y 1,4-1, 



12. Murcena flavimarginata. Teeth uniserial: vomerine band bifurcated m front. hi%tit brown 

 marbled with darker : gill-opening in a black spot : fins usually with a hght outer edge. Ked bea, seas ot 



India to the Malay Archipelago. , , ^ .,. „ . l ■ t j-„ „* 



13. Murcena afra. Teeth uniserial. Brownish-black or blotched. Indian Ocean to tropical parts ot 



Atlantic. 



h. — Tail at least twice as long as trunk. 



14. Mwrcena macrura. Teeth biserial. Uniform brown, the fins nearly black. Seas of India to the 

 Malay Archipelago. 



B. — Teeth in jaws pointed : globular on vomer. 



15. Murcma thyrsoidea. Teeth biserial. Light brown covered with closely set purplish spots and light 

 intermediate lines forming a network : anal fin sometimes with a light outer edge. Andamans to the Malay 



^° '^16^ Murcena pida. Teeth in jaws uniserial. Gray with arborescent black markings and marbling. East 

 Coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 4 2 



