178 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



B. vii, D. 8 | ^1^, P. 14 + vi, V. 1/5, A. ^Vr, C. 17, L. 1. 48-50, L. tr. 5/10. 



Length of head 1/4 to 4|, of caudal 1/5 to 2/9, height of body 1/4 to 2/9 of the total length. Eyes — 

 diameter 1/3 to 3| in the length of head, 2/5 to 3/4 of a diameter from end of snout, and about 1 apart. 

 Height of head equals its length behind the middle of the eye, its width from 2| to 2| in its length. The 

 maxilla reaches to behind the posterior edge of the orbit. Vertical margin of preopercle denticulated, with a 

 rather strong tooth just above its angle, which latter is rounded, produced, and entire. Teeth — villiform, those 

 on the vomer in a transverse band, whilst the palatine band is semi-interrupted. Fins — dorsal spines with 

 rather filamentous terminations, the third being equal to 1J in the height ' of the body and as long as the 

 highest ray in the second dorsal : the height of the second dorsal and of the anal are nearly the same, but the 

 length of the base of the former is longer than that of the latter : upper edge of the second dorsal fin scarcely, 

 if at all, emarginate. Pectoral rays branched ; the free rays at the base of the fin reach to the middle of the 

 ventral fin, occasionally to its end : caudal rather deeply forked. A spine on the shoulder at the commencement 

 of the lateral-line. Air-vessel — small and simple. Ccecal appendages — long and rather numerous. Pree portion 

 of the tail in its lowest part equal to 1/2 the length of the head. Colours — golden, the upper half of the first 

 dorsal black spotted : pectoral and ventral with numerous black spots sometimes occasioning the former to be 

 almost black : other fins more or less numerously dotted with black and often black-edged. A large black spot 

 on the shoulder on the lateral-line from the second to the eighth scales. 



This fish is very numerous throughout the coasts of India up to 7| inches in length. 



Habitat. — East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



Jerdon in his Ichthy. paper on Madras (M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 140) observes of the species of this 

 genus he had obtained " Polynemus tetradactylus, C.V. Yerra kala, Tarn. ; P. plebeius, C.V. Pole kala, Tam. ; 

 P. Indians, Shaw, Walan Icala; P. sextarius, C.V. Kutli kala, Tam. : P. heptadactylus, C.V. Ma-kala, Tam. The 

 first three species are called Roeball at Madras and are considered good eating." 



5. Polynemus sexfilis, Plate XLIII, fig. 1. 



? Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 515 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 325 (not Playfair, Pish. Zanz.* p. 53). 

 Polynemus hexanemus, Cantor, Catal. p. 33 (not Cuv. and Val.). 

 Trichidion sexfilis, Bleeker, Fish. Madagascar, p. 79. 



B. vii, D. 8 | ^h^, P. 15 + vi, V. 1/5, A. TT 3 T¥ , C. 17, L. 1. 46, L. tr. 5/10, Case. pyl. many. 



Length of head 4|, of caudal 2/7, height of body 2/9 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 2/9 of length of 

 head, 1/2 a diameter from end of snout, and 1 apart. Height of head equals its length excluding the snout, its 

 width equals 4/7 of its length. The maxilla reaches half a diameter behind the orbit. Vertical margin of 

 preopercle strongly denticulated with a rather strong tooth above its rounded, produced, but entire angle. 

 Teeth — villiform in jaws, in a semilunar band on the vomer, and in an interrupted one on the palatines. Fins — 

 third dorsal spine 2/3 of the height of the body : second dorsal 1/4 higher anteriorly than the anal, its upper 

 edge rather concave. The pectoral rays unbranched, the free ones reach to rather beyond the end of the ventral : 

 base of the anal slightly longer than that of the second dorsal : caudal deeply forked. A spine on the shoulder 

 at the commencement of the lateral-line. Pree portion of the tail as high as it is long, its least height equal to 

 nearly 1/2 the length of the head. Ccecal appendages — long and rather numerous. Air-vessel — large. Colours — 

 golden, pectoral deep black, a black lower edge to the anal : ventral dark in the middle. 



In Cuv. and Val. P. sexfilis is said to have no air-vessel. This species appears to closely resemble P. 

 Pfeifferce, Bleeker, which also has a large air-vessel, and D. 8 | -rY, A. ^ L. 1. 48. Length of head 1/5, and of 

 caudal lobes Z\ in the total length. 



This species differs from P. sextarius in its eye being smaller, its caudal lobes larger, the base of its anal 

 longer than that of its second dorsal, its third dorsal spine 2/3 of the height of the body, some of its pectoral 

 free-rays reaching beyond the end of the ventral, and its rays being simple, and likewise in having a black 

 pectoral fin but no black shoulder-spot. From the P. xantlwneimis, wherein only 12 pyloric appendages exist. 



Cantor, whilst observing that " the second, third, and fourth filaments from the pectoral fin are the 



* The fish alluded to by Colonel Playfair in the " Fishes of Zanzibar," is not identical with the above, and might be termed 

 Polynemus Playfairi, if it is not P. Vuru : two other specimens exist in the British Museum : the species is as follows : — 



B. vii, D. 8 | T \, P. 13 + vi, V. 1/5, A. T \, C. 17, L. 1. 63, L. tr. 7/13. 



Length of head 5J, of caudal 3|, height of body 4| of the total length. Eyes— diameter nearly 1/3 of length of head, 1/4 of a 

 diameter from end of snout, and 1 apart. The maxilla reaches to a little behind the vertical from the posterior edge of the orbit. 

 Height of head equals its length excluding the snout, its width two-thirds of its length. A spine at the shoulder. Fins — first dorsal 

 two-thirds as high as the body below it: second dorsal nearly equal in height to the length of the head and having its upper edge deeply 

 concave, its front rays being one-fifth higher than the first dorsal fin. Pectoral as long as the head behind the middle of the eye, irs 

 upper free-rays reach to a little beyond the end of the fin. The distance between the bases of the ventral and anal fins equals the length 

 of the head excluding the snout. Anal not quite so high as the second dorsal, it commences below the fifth dorsal ray and has a very 

 emarginate lower edge. Caudal deeply forked. Free portion of tail slightly higher at its base than it is long. Colours — body with lines 

 along each row of scales and a black pectoral fin. 



This species appears to be closely allied to P. kuru, Bleeker, which however has the upper caudal lobe 3J in the total length. 

 The specimen (Col. Playfair's) from which this description has been taken is about 14 inches in length. ■ 



Habitat. — East coast of Africa to the Malay Archipelago, and probably found in the seas of India, although I have not obtained 

 it there. It would be interesting to see if it has or has not an air-vessel. 



