176 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Family, XI— POLYNEMHXZE. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobranchiae. Body oblong, somewhat compressed. Eyes large, lateral, 

 more or less covered by an adipose membrane: mouth on the lower side of a prominent snout, and having a 

 lateral cleft. Muciferous system on the head well developed. Villiform teeth on the jaws, and palatines : 

 present or absent on the vomer. Two dorsal fins : several free and articulated appendages below the pectoral 

 fin : ventrals thoracic, with one spine and five rays. Scales finely ctenoid or cycloid, and more or less covering 

 the vertical fins. Lateral-line continuous, continued on to the caudal fin. Air-vessel, when present, varying 

 in form and structure. Pyloric, appendages of varying numbers. 



Geographical distribution. — Seas of India to the Pacific, also tropical portions of the Atlantic, not found 

 in the Red Sea. . 



SYNOPSIS OP INDIVIDUAL GENUS. 



Genus, 1 — Polynemus. Definition as in the Family. 



Uses. — These fish are all excellent as food, and from some, rough isinglass or fish-sounds are obtained and 

 exported in large quantities. 



Genus, 1 — Poltnimus,* Linn. 



Trichidion, Klein ; Polistonemus, Gill ; Uleutheronema, Bleeker. 



Preopercle serrated. Teeth villiform on the jaws, palatines, vomer, and pterygoid bones. First dorsal fin with 

 seven or eight wealc spines ; soft dorsal and anal of nearly equal extent : pectoral rays simple or branched and having 

 a varying number of free ones (3-7) at the base of the fin. Scales ctenoid, rather small, extended on to the vertical 

 fins. Air-vessel, when present, varying in form, size, and structure. Pyloric appendages few, in moderate numbers, 

 or many. 



SYNOPSIS OP SPECIES. 



1. Polynemus pa.radiseus, D. 7 \ y^-ts^ A. -^, L. 1. 70. Seven free pectoral rays, the three upper being 

 twice as long as the fish. No air-vessel. Golden colour. Upper part of Bay of Bengal to the Malay 

 Archipelago, entering rivers. 



2. Polynemus heptadactylus, D. 8 | Y2-TS' -A- tt-T2> ■'-'■ !■ 50-52. Seven free pectoral rays reaching the 

 base of the anal. No air-vessel. Golden, pectoral black, vertical fins with dark edges. 



3. Polynemus xanthonemus, D. 8 | yY, A. ty^o-. Six free pectoral rays reaching beyond the tip of the 

 ventral. No air-vessel. Pins edged with black. Seas of India to China. 



4. Polynemus sextarius, D. 8 | X5-V3, A. -j-^Tg, L. 1. 48-50. Six free pectoral rays reaching to the middle 

 or end of the ventral fin. Air-vessel small and simple. Upper half of dorsal, pectoral, and outer part of 

 ventral black. A large black shoulder-spot. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



5. Polynemus sexfilis, D. 8 | xa-iyg-, A. y^Ta-j L. 1. 46. Six free pectoral rays reaching rather beyond the 

 ventrals. Air-vessel large. Golden, pectoral black : dorsal and anal black-edged. Seas of India to the Malay 

 Archipelago. 



6. Polynemus Indians, D. 8 | -3-3!.^, A. yfl-rj-, L. 1. 70-75. Pive free pectoral rays reaching nearly to the 

 anal fin. Air-vessel long and narrow. Vertical fins dark edged. Seas of India to Australia. 



7. Polynemus plebeius, D. 8 | -^g, A. ?ff, L. 1. 60-65. Pive free pectoral rays reaching to the end of the 

 ventral fin. Air-vessel present. Golden, with grey longitudinal bands. Seas of India to China. 



8. Polynemus tetradactylus, D. 8 | xsVsj -A-. tt-iTi L. 1. 75-85. Pour free pectoral rays reaching to the 

 end of the ventral. Air-vessel absent. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and China. 



1. Polynemus paradiseus, Plate XLII, fig. 4. 



Polynemus paradiseus, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 1401 ; Russell, ii, p. 69, pi. 185 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 320. 

 Polynemus risua, aureus, toposui, Ham. Buck. Pish. Ganges, pp. 228, 232, 381. 



Polynemus longifilis, Cuv. and Val. iii, p. 365, and vii, p. 512 ; Bleeker, Bengal, p. 91, and Enum. Spec. 

 Ind. Arch. p. 245, (not Borneo, ii, p. 268, and vi, p. 418.) 



Trichidion paradiseus, Bleeker, Fish. Madagascar, p. 78. 

 Tupsee muchee, Beng. ; Nga-poongna, Burm. Mangoe fish. 



B. vii, D. 7 I yJ-i-j, P. 15+vii, V. 1/5, A. T %, C. 19, L. 1. 70, L. tr. 5/14, Vert. 10/15, Csec. pyl. 5(10). 



Length of head 2/13 to 1/6, of pectoral 2/5 to 1/4, of caudal 3| to 3|, height of body 2/13 to 1/6 of the 

 total length. Eyes — minute in the young, in the adult diameter 1/8 of length of head, 2 diameters from end of 



* .Kala, Tarn.: Nut-tiah, Mngh. 



