32 ELOPIFORM FISHES 



canal wholly contained within bone. The oral margin of the dentary is straight, 

 unlike the concave outline of the dentary of Elops. The dentition is similar to that 

 of Elops. The quadrate/mandibular articulation occurs beneath the otic region. 



The bones surrounding the orbit are set in typical elopid fashion. The nasals are 

 slender tubes which probabby lay free in the skin. The splint-like supraorbital lies 

 in tandem with the triangular antorbital. Five infraorbitals were recognized but a 

 dermosphenotic was not seen. The first infraorbital is rounded anteriorly as in 

 Anaethalion and thus differs from the Elops condition. In shape the posterior 

 infraorbitals are very similar to those of other elopids, but in their width there is a 

 closer resemblance to Elops. The infraorbital sensory canal runs close to the orbital 

 margin and sends off bone-enclosed branches within the second, third and fourth 

 infraorbitals. These bone-enclosed branches are a resemblance to Anaethalion 

 rather than Elops. Anteriorly the main infraorbital canal passes straight out of the 

 bone. The narrow antorbital branch must have linked with the infraorbital canal 

 outside the bone, as in Elops but unlike Anaethalion (Nybelin 1967b). 



The anterior and posterior ceratohyals are the same shape as in Elops and extend 

 between the jaw rami. As in Elops the anterior ceratohyal is solid, not fenestrated 

 as it is in Anaethalion. Little may be seen of the branchial arches, but the first 

 and second gill arches bore long gill-rakers, a feature which is totally unlike Lebonich- 

 thys ( = Osmeroides) gracilis to which Davichthys dubius had previously been allied. 



The opercular series is very much like that of Anaethalion. The preoperculum is 

 narrow throughout, unlike Elops, but like that genus the sensory canal runs at the 

 anterior margin in contrast to the condition in Anaethalion. 



The postcranial skeleton is little different from either Elops or Anaethalion. The 

 vertebral column consists of 50 vertebrae of which approximately 19 are caudal. 

 The total count agrees more closely with Anaethalion (42-66) than with Elops 

 (63-80) but in all three genera there are approximately the same number of caudal 

 vertebrae. 



The dorsal fin is situated in the middle of the back as in Elops but unlike most 

 species of Anaethalion except A. ?cf. subovatus (Nybelin 1967b : pi. 5). 



A distinction from both Elops and Anaethalion is the length of the pectoral 

 fin-rays, which extend posteriorly almost to the pelvic fin. 



The caudal skeleton is, as far as may be seen, similar to both Elops and at least 

 some species of Anaethalion. In retaining fringing fulcra there is a greater similarity 

 with Anaethalion. 



The cycloid scales are small, circular and marked by fine circuli. Those in the 

 anterior region of the body have three or four radii in the anterior field which produce 

 a scalloped anterior margin. 



Davichthys gardneri sp. nov. 



(Text-figs. 14, 15) 



Diagnosis. Davichthys reaching 120 mm S.L. Skull roof without ornament. 

 Maxilla with straight oral border ; supramaxillae slender, the second particularly 

 shallow posteriorly. Premaxilla forming nearly one-third of the upper jaw margin 



