24 TELEOSTEI. ACANTIIOPTERYGII. 



Family III, MULL 



Branchiostegals four; pseudobranchijB. Body -rather elongate. 

 Profile of head convex. Two stiff barbels below the chin belong- 

 ing to the hyoid apparatus. Teeth feeble and variously inserted. 

 Two dorsal 'fins, situated at some distance asunder; the anal 

 similar to the second dorsal ; ventral with one spine and five rays. 

 Scales large, feebly ctenoid, and rather deciduous. Air-bladder, 

 when present, simple. Pyloric appendages few or in moderate 

 numbers. 



Geographical Distribution. Seas of temperate Europe and those 

 of the tropics ; many young and some adults have been captured 

 in rivers. 



Uses. This family, to which the Bed Mullet belongs, furnishes 

 usually excellent food. 



Synopsis of Indian Genera. 



Teeth in both jaws, on the vomer, and palatine bones . . 1. UPENEOIDES. 



Teeth in several rows in both jaws, palate edentulous . . 2. MULLOIDES. 



Teeth in a single row in both jaws, palate edentulous . . 3. UPENEUS. 



1. Genus UPENEOIDES, Bleeker. 



Syn. Megakpis, Bianc. ; Upeneus, sp., Cuv. ; Upeneus (0. V.), Bleeker, 

 1874. 



Small teeth in the jaws, vomer, and palatine bones. 

 Geographical Distribution. Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and beyond. 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 



A. Lobes of caudal without dark cross bars . . 2. U. sulphur eus, p. 25. 



B. Lobes of caudal barred. 



a. FirVfc dorsal spine minute ; 2nd, 3rd, and 



4th nearly equal. 

 Body chestnut above, not spotted ...... ] . U. vittatus, p. 25. 



Body leaden above, not spotted ........ 3. U. cceruleus, p. 26. 



Head and body with brown spots, a brown 



lateral stripe ...................... 4. U. tragula, p. 26. 



b. First dorsal spine the longest; fin pointed. 



Sides with red spots .................. 5. U. bensasi, p. 27. 



Sides without spots .................. 6. U. ternoptervs, p. 27. 



