TELEOSTEI. ACANTHOPTEBYGn. 



Family XXXVIII. CENTRISCID.E. 



Fistularia, pt., Miiller ; Amphisiloidei, pt., Bleeker. 



Branchiostegals three or four; pseudobranchise. Gills four. 

 Anterior bones of the skull produced, forming a long tube, 

 having a small mouth at its anterior extremity. Teeth absent. 

 Two dorsal fins, the first short and having one of its spines strong ; 

 the soft dorsal and anal of moderate extent; ventrals abdominal, 

 spineless, and rudimentary. Scales, if present, small ; the body 

 usually covered with a cuirass or with ossifications which are not 

 confluent. Air-bladder large. Pyloric appendages absent. Ver- 

 tebrae few. 



Geographical Distribution. Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Indo- 

 Pacific. 



1. Genus AMPHISILE (Klein), Cuv. 



Branchiostegals three or four ; pseudobranchiae. Gill-openings 

 of moderate width. Body elongate and strongly compressed. A 

 dorsal cuirass formed by portions of the skeleton. Two dorsal 

 fins situated far back ; ventrals rudimentary. 



Geographical Distribution. Indo-Pacific Ocean. 



1197. (1.) Amphisile scntata. (Fig. 117.) 



Centriscus scutatus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 415. 



Amphisile scutata, Day, Fish. India, p. 361, pi. Ixxvi, %. o (see 

 synon.). 



Moasa, Arab. 

 B. iii. D. 3 | 10-12. P. 10. V. 3. A. 12. C. 10. Vert. 6/14. 



Length of head 3|, height of body 7 in the total length. Eyes 

 ] | diameters in postorbital length of head ; interorbital space 

 concave. Body strongly compressed. The dermal skeleton ends 

 behind in a long spine, close beneath which are the three spines 



Fig. 117. Amphisile scutata. 

 of the first dorsal fin ; below these again is the second dorsal, 

 whilst the caudal appears on the lower surface of the body Just 

 KJhmd the anal. Ventrals rudimentary ami situated on the cutting 

 abdominal edge. Colour- whitish, shot with pink. 

 Hal. Seas of India to China. 



