THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 
59 
Fam. P0LYNEMID2E. 
Genus POLYNEMUS, Linn. 
Branchiostegals, seven: pseudobranchise. Form of body oblong, compressed. Eyes, large lateral. 
Mouth below snout, with lateral cleft, snout prominent. Two separate dorsals, the second, the anal, and 
the caudal more or less covered with small scales. Dorsal spines weak. Second dorsal and anal of 
nearly equal extent. Several articulated free filiform appendages in front of base of pectoral fin. Pre- 
opercle serrated. Villiform teeth in jaws, vomer and palate. Scales moderate, ctenoid. Lateral line 
continued on to caudal. Air bladder varying in size and structure; in some species absent. 
Polynemus HEPTADACTYLUS. 
Polynemus heptadactylus, Ciiv. & Val. iii. p. 390; Cantor , Catal. p. 34; Gunther , 
Catal. ii. p. 321. 
B. vii. D. 7-8 | P. 15, vii. Y. it. A. 50- P* to*- XT’ Case. pylor. 4. 
Length of head yG of pectoral jt, of caudal y, of base of anal \ of total leng’th. Height of 
head jf, of body of hard dorsal 1, of soft dorsal j , of ventral -}, of anal } of the total length. 
Eyes—Diameter J of length of head, 1^ diameters from end of snout, 2^ diameters apart. Ex¬ 
ternal third of orbits surrounded by an adipose lid. 
Profile rather elevated from snoutvto the first dorsal. Upper jaw rather oblique, the maxilla 
extends behind the orbit a distance of half its transverse diameter. 
Preopercle, vertical limb slightly convex, denticulated, with a very strong spine at the lower 
termination of its denticulations, and opposite the upper margin of the mouth. Opercle ending 
in a soft point. 
Teeth—Yilliform in both jaws, none on their outer surfaces. A band of the same character 
on vomer and palate. 
Fins —The first dorsal arises above, or slightly in advance of base of pectoral: ventral opposite 
second third of pectoral: the second dorsal midway between posterior margin of orbit and root of 
caudal: anal opposite fifth dorsal ray. First dorsal triangular, spines weak, the first very short, 
the second shorter than the third, which is the longest, from it they rapidly decrease : the spines 
are prolonged beyond the membrane which is moderately notched. The distance between the end 
of first and commencement of second dorsal, equals half the distance between end of second dorsal 
and commencement of caudal. Spine of second dorsal half the length of first ray, which is the 
longest; the fin is of a trapezoid shape, with its superior margin concave. Pectoral rather pointed, 
with seven appendages, the two highest and lowest equal, and shorter than the other four which 
extend to the third and fourth anal rays. Ventral triangular, its spine weak. Anal, first spine 
short, second half the length of third, which is half as long as first ray; shape of fin trapezoid. 
Caudal deeply lobed. 
Scales—Deciduous, and placed as in the P. Indicus, p. 61. 
Lateral fine—First ascends, from opposite the end of the first dorsal it descends, above extre¬ 
mity of anal it proceeds straight to the base of the caudal, where it passes downwards over the 
upper margin of the highest ray of the lower lobe, and divides into two, one being continued 
straight to the end of the fin, the other passing to between the two inner rays of the lower lobe. 
Colours—General colour silvery, with a yellowish tinge, and light yellowish-brown stripes 
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