PSEUDOCHROMIDES. 225 



Family XXIII. PSEUDOCHROMIDES. 



Body more or less elongate. Cleft of mouth oblique. Bones on, 

 the head unarmed (opercle sometimes obtusely pointed) ; head not 

 cuirassed. The suborbital ring of bones articulates with the pre- 

 opercle. Teeth in the jaws, present or absent on the vorner and 

 palatines. Dorsal fin consisting of two portions which are connected ; 

 usually more rays than spines ; anal similar to, or of less extent 

 than, the soft dorsal ; ventrals thoracic or jugular ; pectorals with- 

 out appendages. Scales feebly cycloid or ctenoid. Lateral line 

 interrupted or incomplete. Air-bladder present or absent. Pylori c 

 appendages, when present, in small numbers. 



Synopsis of Indian Genera. 



Cleft of mouth large. Palate edentulous. 



Scales cycloid. Lateral line incomplete. 1. OPISTHOGNATHUS. 

 Lower jaw the longer. Teeth in jaws, 



vomer, and palate. Scales ctenoid. 



Lateral line interrupted 2. PSEUDOCHIIOMIS. 



1. Genus OPISTHOGNATHUS, Cuv. 



Syn. Gnathypops, Gill. 



Branchiostegals six ; pseudobranchise. Body rather compressed 

 behind. Upper profile of snout parabolic. Eyes lateral, large. 

 Cleft of mouth deep, the upper jaw being either produced in a 

 styliform process to beyond the angle of the preopercle, or trun- 

 cated a little behind the level of the hind edge of the eye. Pine 

 teeth in jaws, with an outer enlarged row ; palate edentulous. 

 Dorsal spines weak and flexible (10-13), rays (13-17) similar 

 to those of the anal ; anal with two flexible spines ; ventrals 

 jugular ; pectoral rays branched. Scales cycloid, small. Lateral 

 line not continued so far as the caudal fiu. Air-bladder small. 

 Caecal appendages absent. 



Geographical Distribution. Eed Sea, seas of India to Malay 

 Archipelago and beyond ; also Brazil. 



Synopsis of Indian. Species. 



D. 14/12. Maxilla produced backwards 



to beyond angle of preopercle .... 1. O. niyromargmatus, p. 226. 

 D. 10/14/ Maxilla truncated, reaching M 



to just behind posterior edge of eye. 2. O. rosenbergu, p. ^b. 



