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HENRY W. FOWLER
Harpodon nehereus Günther, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus., vol. 5, 1864, P- 401 (China, Chusan).—Bleeker, Nederl. Tijds. Dierk., vol. 4, 1874, p. 147 (compiled).-Peters, Monatsb. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1880, p. 924 (Ningpo).-- Steindachner, Sitz. Akad. Miss. Wien, vol. 102. pt. 1, 1893, p. 237 (Swatow). -Rutter, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1897, p. 67 Swatow).-Günther, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., series 7, vol. 1, 1898, p. (Newchwang).-Morrison, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., series 7, vol. 1, 1898, p. 265 (Liao Basin).—Wu, Contr. Biol. Lab. Sci. Soc. China, vol. 5, No. 4, 1929, p. 59, fig. 60 (Amoy).
Harpodon ophiodon Bleeker, Nederl. Tijds. Dierk., vol. 2, 1865, p. 57 (Amoy).
Depth 5 to 8; head 4; snout equals eye, 10 or 11 in head; premaxillary 13. Scales begin on body between dorsal and ventral. Lateral line begins at shoulder, with 40 scales. Dorsal rays 12 to 14; anal 14 or 15; pectoral 11 or 12 and fin equals or little longer than head; ventral rays 9 and little longer than pectoral. Gray to brown, fins dusky. Reaches 400 mm.
Ningpo, Chusan, Amoy, Newchwang, Swatow, Woosung, Canton.- (Zanzibar, India*, Pinang, Malacca, East Indies*),
C
This is the Bummaloh or "Bombay Duck," valued in a dried state as a condiment.
Order SYNENTOGNATHI.
The Bill Fishes.
Maxillary very close to premaxillary, sometimes firmly united though sutures distinct. Articular bone of lower jaw with small supplemental bone. Lower pharyngeal bones completely united (hence the technical name of the order, from syn together, entos within, gnathos jaw). Branchiostegals 9 to 15. Vertebrae numerous, 45 to 70, abdominal much more numerous than caudal. Ribs begin on first vertebra. Scapula suspended to cranium by Intestinal posttemporal bone, which slender and forked. Air bladder large. canal simple, without pyloric appendages. Lateral line low, concurrent with profile of belly, of peculiar structure. Fins without spines. No adipose fin. Ventrals abdominal, rays more than 5.
A large group of fishes, according to Regan forming an isolated assemblage without evident relationship to any other fishes though showing certain affinities with the toothed minnows or cyprinodonts. In earlier classifications of fishes this group marked the beginning of the series Physoclysti, characterized by the absence of a duct connecting the air blad- der with the alimentary canal. In contrast were the preceding series of bony fishes or Physostomi (those discussed in the pages of this journal as the herrings, cels and catfishes), all with a persistent duct.
Synopsis of the Families.
a'. Scombresocoidea. Both jaws produced in a beak in adult, upper short
in young.
Belonidae.
a. Exocoetoidea. Lower jaw only, if at all, produced into a beak.
!
A Synopsis of the Fishes of China
b1. Lower jaw produced in long beak in adult.
Hemiramphidae. Exocoetidae.
Family Belonidae.
b. Jaws short, not produced,
The Green Gars,
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Both jaws
Body greatly elongate, very slender, compressed or not. produced in a beak, lower longer, still longer in young. Maxillaries grown fast to premaxillaries. Each jaw with band of small sharp teeth, besides series of longer wide set sharp conical teeth. Vertebrae 55 to 77, precaudal with strong projections to which ribs attached. Air bladder present. Ovary single. Scales very small, thin. Dorsal and anal far posterior, rather long, opposite. No finlets.
Carnivorous surface fishes, in many ways suggestive in superficial manner of the gar pikes. Found in all warm seas, some entering or remain in fresh water. In habits they somewhat resemble the pikes, though when disturbed or so inclined are able to swim along the surface of the water with great rapidity, some even leaping and skipping out short distances. In the tropics, when thus leaping, the large species are sometimes dangerous to fishermen. They have even been known to pierce the naked abdomens of savages. Many are really good food fishes though on account of their green coloured bones are avoided, without good reason.
STRONGYLURA Van Hasselt.
Green Gars.
Strongylura Van Hasselt, Bull. Sci. Nat. Férrusac, Sect. 2, vol. 2, 1824, p. 374- Type Stronglura caudimaculata Van Hasselt=Belone strongylura Van Hasselt, virtually tautotypic.
Body elongate, very slender, little compressed. Both jaws produced as a beak, lower somewhat longer, much longer in young, very young re- sembling half beaks." Each jaw armed with band of small sharp teeth, besides series of longer wide set sharp conical unequal teeth. No teeth on Scales palate. Gill rakers obsolete. Bones usually more or less green. small, thin. Lateral line extends along lower side of belly, becomes median Caudal fin short, on tail.
No finlets. Dorsal fin mostly elevated in front. unequally lunated or forked. Pectorals moderate. Ventrals small, inserted well postmedian,
Species numerous, many of comparative large size.
Bleeker has mentioned Mastacembelus fasciatus (Nederl. Tijds. Dierk., vol. 4, 1783, p. 149) without figure or description and no locality other than China.
Synopsis of the Species.
a. Caudal emarginate or forked and without dark median basal spot.
¿1. Dorsal rays 18.
anastomella.
The Hong Kong Naturalist,
December 1932.
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