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ELOPIFORM FISHES 



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Fig. 90. Lebonichthys gracilis (Davis). Caudal skeleton in left lateral view. Arrows 

 indicate upper and lower principal fin-rays. Camera lucida drawing of B.M.N.H . P. 4856. 



(1901 : 16) quotes a figure of 20. The first two rays are unsegmeiited. The fifth 

 ray is both the longest and the first branched. Of the 21 pterygiophores the first 

 three support the first six fin-rays. With the exception of the first three, each 

 pterygiophore consists of three distinct radial ossifications. The exceptional 

 pterygiophores exhibit fusion between the proximal and middle radials. 



The anal fin arises nearer to the caudal peduncle than to the pelvic fin and consists 

 of nine rays supported on seven pterygiophores. The anterior two rays are un- 

 segmeiited and the fourth is both the longest and the first branched. 



The caudal fin-rays are supported by five preural and two ural centra. Each of the 

 preural centra is deeper than long and marked by ridges. The ural centra are smooth 

 and largely overlapped by the uroneurals and the hypural heads. In the specimen 

 figured (Text-fig. 90) the second ural centrum is completely obscured by the uro- 

 neurals. 



The haemal spines of the five preural vertebrae become progressively stouter from 

 the fifth to the first (the parhypural). The parhypural shows the characteristic 



