78 TELEOSTEI. ACANTIIOPTEHYGII. 



spines and rays ; anal somewhat elongate ; no pectoral appendages ; 

 ventral thoracic, united to the abdomen along its inner edge. 

 Articulated fin-rays unbranched. Scales absent. Vertical fins 

 more or less enveloped in skin. 



Geographical Distribution. Seas of India to the Malay Archi- 

 pelago and beyond. 



823. (1.) Polycaulis uranoscopus. (Fig. 36.) 



Synanceia uranoscopa, El. Schn. Syst. Ich. p. 195. 

 Polycaulis uranoscopus, Day, Fish. India, p. 16J, pi. xxxix, fig. 6 

 (see synon.). 



D. 9-12/11-14. P. 13. V. 1/5. A. 11-15. C. 11. 

 Length of head from 4g to 5, height of body 4| to 5 in the 

 total length. Eyes diameter 4| to 5 in length of head, 1| diam. 

 from end of snout, and 2 apart. Head covered with bony ridges 

 having numerous blunt points. Lower jaw the longer. Fins 

 the low dorsal commences between or rather in advance of the 



fe 



Fig. 36. Polycaulis uranoscopus. 



superior openings of the gills. Ventral attached along its entire 

 inner edge to the abdomen. Colour brownish, with or without 

 white dots ; fins stained dark at their edges, sometimes spotted, 

 the caudal with a white edge. 



Hob. Seas and estuaries of India, to the Malay Archipelago and 

 beyond ; attaining at least 5 inches in length. 



Family VII. NANDID^E. 



PseudochromideSj pt., et Moenoidei, pt., Mull. & Trosch. 



Branch iostegals five or six ; pseudobranchiai present in marine 

 genera, but sometimes concealed or absent in freshwater forms. 

 .Body oblong and compressed. Teeth feeble, but dentition more 

 or less complete. Dorsal fin single ; the base of the spinous por- 

 tion longer than that of the soft or equal to it ; anal with 3 spines, 

 its soft portion similar to that of the dorsal ; ventrals thoracic, 1/4 

 or 1/5. Scales ctenoid, covering the body. Lateral line interrupted 

 or absent. Xo superbranchial organ. Air-bladder present. Pyloric 

 appendages few or absent. 



