EL0P3. 2o 



1. ELOPS. 



Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 518 (1766) ; Giinth, Cat. Fish. vii. p. 469 (1868) ; Bleek. 

 Atlas Ichth. vi. p. 84 (1872) ; Bouleng. Poiss. Bass. Congo, p. 47 (1901). 



Body elongate, moderately compressed. Scales small ; lateral line 

 straight, with simple tubes. Mouth very large, the prsemaxillary and 

 maxillary with bands of small villiform teeth ; similar teeth on the vomer, 

 palatines, pterygoids, parasphenoid, and tongue. Dorsal fin above the 

 ventrals, a little shorter than the anal, these fins folding in a scaly sheath. 

 Ventral fins with 15 or 16 rays. A scaly process above the base of the 

 pectoral and another above the ventral. Branchiostegal rays 24 to 35. 

 Pseudobranchiaj well developed. Vertebrae 62 or more. 



Tropical and subtropical seas, entering rivers. 



The two species are easily distinguished by the following formulae :— 



D. 22-25 ; A. 14-17 ; Sc. 100-110 JH| ; Br. 



28-35 1. ^. saurus, L., p. 25. 



D. 18-21; A. 17-18; Sc. 74-83 ^; Br. 



24-26 2. ^. Zacej-fa, C. & v., p. 26. 



1. ELOPS SAURUS. 

 Linn. Sjst. Nat. i. p. 518 (1766) ; Bloch, Ausl. Fische, viii. p. 153, pi. cccxciii. 



fig. 1 (1794) ; Ciiv. & Val. Hist. Poiss. xix. ip. 365 (1846) ; Giinth. Cat. 



Fish. vii. p. 470 (1868) ; Steind. Sitzb. Ak. Wien, Ixi. i. 1870, p. 571 ; 



Kleinz. Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, xxi. 1871, p. 603 ; Bleek. Atl. Ichth. 



vi. p. 84, pi. cclviii. fig. 3 (1872) ; Day, Fish. Ind. p. 649, pi. cxlvi. fig. 1 



(1878) ; Sauv. Hist. Madag., Poiss. p. 497, pi. xlix. B. fig. 4 (1891) ; Jord. 



& Everm. Fish. N. Amer. i. p. 410 (1896). 

 Argentina Carolina, Linn. t. c. p. 519. 

 Argentina maclinata, Forsk. Descr. Anim. p. 68 (1775). 

 ilugilomorus anna-carolina, Lacep. Hist. Poiss. v. p. 397 (1803). 

 Elops inermis, Mitchell, Tr. Lit. Phil. Soc. N. Y. i. 1815, p. 445. 

 Slops machnata, Riipp. N. Wirbelth., Fisch. pp. 80 & 84 (1835) ; Richards. Voy. 



Breb. & Terr., Fish. p. 59, pi. xxxvi. figs. 3-5 (1846) ; Schleg. Faun. Japon., 



Poiss. p. 241, pi. cix. fig. 2 (1850) ; Playf. & Gunth. Fish. Zanzib. p. 121, 



fig. (1866). 

 Elops indicus, Swains. Nat. Hist. ii. p. 292 (1839). 

 Elops capensis, A. Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr., Fish. pi. vii. (1840) ; Casteln. Mem, 



Poiss. Afr. Austr. p. 67 (1861). 

 Elops purpurascens, Richards. Ichth. China, p. 311 (1846). 



Depth of body 4| to 5| times in total length, length of head 3^ to 4 

 times. Eye 4 to 5 times in length of head, as long as or a little shorter 

 than snout, equal to interorbital width ; lower jaw not or but scarcely 



