POLTPTEEUS.— CALA.M1CHTHTS. 17 



10. POLYPTERUS RETROPINNIS. 



Vaillant, Bull. Mus. Paris, 1899, p. 219; Bouleng. Poiss. Bass. Congo, p. 26 

 (1901). 



Body subcylindrical. Head If times as long as broad, 5f to 6^ times 

 in total length, with lateral eyes and convex interorbital region ; snout 

 projecting beyond lower jaw; eye 6^ to 8 times in length of head, 2 to 

 2|- times in interorbital width ; head-shields all paired ; suboperculum 

 smaller than eye. Dorsal with VI-VII spines, widely separated when 

 folded. Anal 12-15. Pectoral widely separated from first dorsal spine. 

 58-59 scales in a longitudinal series, 35-37 between occiput and first 

 dorsal spine, 32-36 round middle of body. Olive-grey above, whitish 

 beneath ; more or less distinct darker cross-bands on the back ; a black 



Fis. 1 2. 



£!^ C0- 



Polypterus retropinnis. 

 Type (in Paris Museum), f. 



spot sometimes present on the membrane behind each dorsal spine; 

 more or less distinct dark streaks across rayed part of pectoral fin, and 

 a large black spot on its muscular part. 



Total length 230 milHm. 



Alima Kiver, Upper Congo —Types in Paris Museum. 



1. One o£ the types. Alima R. M. J. de Brazza (C.) ; 



Paris Museum (E.). 



2. CALAMICHTHYS. 



Erpetoielithys (non Swainson), J. A. Smith, Proc. Pliys. Soc. Edinb. 1865, p. 273. 



Calamoichthys, J. A. Smith, Proc. R. Soc. Edinb. v. 1866, p. 655 ; A. Dum. 



Hist. Poiss. ii. p. 397 (1870) ; Giinth. Cat. Fish. viii. p. 327 (1870) ; Bouleng. 



Poiss. Bass. Congo, p. 27 (1901). 



Body much elongate, cylindrical, serpentiform. Spines of dorsal fin 



supporting a single articulated ray. No ventral fins. Suboperculum 



very small or absent. Teeth small, conical. 



West Africa. 

 VOL. I. ^ 



