78 ATHERINIDyE.— muqilldm. 



below centre of eye. Dorsals IV- V, I 10-11. Anal I 14-16. Pectoral 

 | length of head. Ventral inserted below posterior third of pectoral. 

 Caudal truncate. Caudal peduncle 1-j to 1^ times as long as deep. 

 32-35 scales in longitudinal series, 8-10 in transverse series. Brownish 

 above, yellowish beneath ; a dark lateral band, terminating in an 

 irregular black spot on the caudal fin, which is orange above and 

 crimson beneath. 



Total length 90 millim. 



Mountain streams of Mananjary, Madagascar. — Types in Paris 

 Museum. 



Fam. 16. MUGILTD^l. 



Mouth protractile, the maxillaries excluded from the oral border ; 

 teeth minute or absent ; oesophageal opening much reduced by the 

 complicated structure of the pharyngeal bones. Two nostrils on each 

 side. Two well-separated dorsal fins, the anterior formed of a small 

 number of pungent spines. Pectoral fins inserted high up. Ventral 

 fins more or less behind the pectorals, with one spine and 5 soft rays; 

 pelvic bones suspeuded from the post-clavicles. Prascaudal vertebra? 

 with strong parapophyses bearing the ribs; epipleurals inserted on the 

 ribs. Vertebrae 24 to 26. Air-bladder present. 



Mostly marine and represented in all parts of the world. Many 

 species enter fresh waters and a few are confined to these. 



1. MUGIL. 



Artedi, Gen. Pise. p. 32 (1738) ; Ouv. & Val. Hist. Poiss. xi. p. 7 (1S36) ; 



Giinth. Cat. Fish. iii. p. 409 (1861) ; Bouleng. Poiss. Bass. Congo, p. 352 



(1901), and Fish. Nile, p. 427 (1907). 

 Liza, Jord. & Swain, Proc. U.S. Nat, Mus. vii. 1884, p. 261. 



Mouth small, transverse, with minute setiform teeth *, at least in the 

 upper jaw ; a more or less distinct knob at the symphysis of the lower 

 jaw. Body elongate, feebly compressed, covered, like the head, with 

 large scales, the edge of which may be finely denticulate ; a scaly 

 process on each side of the base of the anterior dorsal fin ; no lateral 

 line, but most of the scales bearing in the centre a pit or short open 

 canal. Anterior dorsal fin with 3 to 5 spines, the first two or three 



* These teeth are more developed in the young of certain species, which have for this 

 reason, and in ignorance of the changes which take place with age, been referred to a 

 different genus, Myxu.t, Gthr. 



