PHARYNGEAL TEETH OF FISHES. 263 



the fourth arch have tubercles also. Along the top of the hypo- 

 branchials where they join the basibranchials and for a short 

 distance there are minute teeth on the four arches, they are so 

 small as to be discovered more by the feel of resistance they 

 give than by sight. At the top of the second epibranchial there 

 is a small group of minute teeth representing the upper 

 pharyngeal teeth. 



Elopid.se. 



Megalops atlanticus (the Tarpon) frequents the Atlantic 

 Ocean along the south-east coasts of North America and the 

 West Indies. A fish much prized by wealthy fishermen who can 

 afford to go across the ocean for the pleasure and excitement of 

 catching it. It is called the " Cuffum " at Demerara. This fish 

 has forty-four long horny gill-rakers on the first cerato-hypo- 

 branchial arch, that decrease in size very gradually as they 

 approach the basibranchials. The longer ones near the angle 

 are about a third longer than the gill-laminse below them. 

 There are twenty-two on the first epibranchial. All the gill- 

 rakers are toothed on the inner side so that they cling to the 

 finger if it is brought against them from base to tip. The outer 

 sides of the second, third, and fourth arches carry horny gill- 

 rakers of the same pattern as those on the first arch but much 

 shorter. The inner margins of the branchial arches have no 

 gill-rakers except the fourth which has short tubercles which fit 

 into larger tubercles on the outer side of the fifth arch. The top 

 of the branchial arches, and the top of the basibranchials, and 

 the epibranchials and lower pharyngeal bones are all covered 

 with villiform teeth feeling like moderately coarse sandpaper, 

 and these extend on to the tongue. 



Elops saurus, found in tropical seas ; the specimen examined 

 came from Madras. This fish has twelve long horny gill-rakers 

 on the outer side of the first cerato-hypobranchial, the longest 

 about equal to the depth of the gill-laminae below it, with eight 

 long horny gill-rakers on the first epibranchial arch. There are 

 no teeth on these gill-rakers. The outer sides of the second, 

 third, and fourth arches carry horny gill-rakers, decreasing in 

 size as they belong to the inner arches. The inner sides of the 

 three inner arches also have small tubercles rather distantly 

 spaced. The head of the second epibranchial and the upper 



