HEMIEHAMPHUS. 



15 



1. HEMIRHAMPHUS FAR. 

 Esox far, Forsk. Descr. Anim. p. 67 (1775). 

 Hemirhamphus commersonii, Cuv. Regne Anim. 2nd ed. ii. p. 286 (1829) ; Cuv. & 



Val. Hist. Poiss. xix. p. 28 (1846) ; Bleek. Verh. Bat. Gen. xxiv. 1852, p. 17 ; 



Giinth. Cat. Fish. vi. p. 271 (1866) ; Peters, Reise Mossamb. iv. p. 94 



(1868). 

 Hemirhamphus far, Riipp. N. Wirbelth. Abyss., Fische, p. 74 (1840) ; Bleek. 



Atlas Ichth. vi. p. 54, pi. vi. fig. 3 (1866) ; Klunz. Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. 



Wien, xx. 1870, p. 582; Day, Fish. Ind. p. 516, pi. cxx. fig. 3 (1878); 



Giinth. Fische Siidsee, p. 357 (1909). 



Depth of body 6 to 6J times in total length *, length of head i\ to 5 

 times. Beak 1^ to If times length of head ; upper jaw much broader 

 than long ; teeth more or less distinctly tricuspid ; eye better visible 

 from below than from above, 3 to 3^ times in length of head ; inter- 

 orbital width 2£ to 3 times in length of head. Dorsal 13-14. Anal 

 11-12, below second half of dorsal. Pectoral f length of head. Ventral 



Fig. 9. 



Hemirhamphus far. 

 Indian Ocean, after Day {I. c). 



i 



2* 



inserted twice as far from anterior or posterior border of eye as from 

 caudal. Caudal deeply forked, lower lobe the longer, median rays about 

 equal to diameter of eye. Caudal peduncle as long as deep. 52-55 

 scales in longitudinal series. Back dark greenish, sides with a silvery 

 band and usually with four or five rounded blackish spots or short 

 vertical bars. 



Total length 400 millim. 



Bed Sea and Indian Ocean, South Pacific, sometimes entering rivers. 



1. Ad., skin. 



Zanzibar. 



Sir L. Play fair (P.). 



2. Ad. 



Mozambique. 



Prof. Peters (P.). 



3. Ad. 



Mazoe, Rhodesia. 



J. ff. Darling, Esq. (P.). 



4, 5. Ad. 



Natal. 





6. Skel. 



51 





* In describing the proportions of the head and body, the projectiug part of the lower 

 jaw is excluded. 



