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64 PISCES ABDOMINALES . MUGIL ,
Length of the subject, one foot eight inches.
It sometimes appears at the English tables, but is not esteemed.
The spinous rays of the dorsal and anal fins lie close on each other, and their points sometimes not piercing
the skin (particularly those of thè anal fin), may easily pass unnoticed.
M U G IL .
G E N E R IC C H A R A C T E R .
Labia membranacea: injerius introrsum carinatum.
Dentes nu lli. Denticulus infiexus
supra sinus oris. Membrana branchiostega
radiis vìi. c u rv is ; opercida lavia, rotun-
dala. Corpus albicans.
T h e lips membranous; the lower lip carinated
inwardly ; no teeth ; a small
inflected tooth above the opening o f the
mouth. T h e branchial membrane has
vii. curve rays. T h e opercula smooth,
rounded. T h e body in clining to white.
No. CLXXX.
Mugil pinna p iim a dorsali ra d iis quatuor ; cauda lunata.
T h e Mugil with a first dorsal fin o f four rays ; and a lunated tail.
M u g il Cepkalus L in n . S . X . p . 520.
Called b y the Natives B o n t a h .
JS. v i. D . t 10. P .M . V .T . A . T \ . C. 18.
T h e body oblong, somewhat compressed, smooth, squamous ; scales large, ciliate, imbricate, close.
The head roundish, compressed, blunt ; the crown and front depressed, squamous, smooth ; the rest without
scales ; the rostrum short, obtuse, smooth, projects over the mouth. The mouth very small, with hardly any
lips ; without teeth. The jaws short, extractile, the under has a carina internally, which is received into a
groove in the upper. The tongue thick, fleshy, smooth, fixed. The palate rough. The eyes high, advanced,
large, orbicular, prominent. Nostrils double, not contiguous, and situated above a striated lamina, in front of
the orbit. Branchial opercula bony, smooth, without scales; the membrane half concealed; the a{>erture small.
The trunk. The back nearly straight, convex; the sides also convex; the abdomen a little arched, not prominent;
the tail continues broad and not much rounded; the branchiæ pectinate; the lateral line scarcely
discernible, nearly straigiit ; the anus very remote.
The_A” i- The first dorsal, in the middle of the back, consists of four pretty long, curve, spinous rays; the
second, of ten declining ramous rays, is situated an inch and six lines nearer the tail; the pectoral high, broad,
acuminate above; the ventral middle between the pectoral and first dorsal, has one spinous ray; the anal
opposite, and in shape exactly like the second dorsal, has one spine also; the caudal fin large, broad, lunate.
The colour of the crown and back changeable green and blue, the rest a shining white. On each side are five
or six dusky fillets, running from the opercula to the caudal fin.
Lengtb, one foot and a half.
REMARKS.
This fish, though very common in India, is much esteemed; being in quality greatly superior to the Gray
Mullet in England. They are sometimes considerably larger than the subject now described.
No. CLXXXI.
M u g i l squama lanceolata ad pinnas pectorales et ventrales ; pinna anali acidéis tr ibus; cauda
suh-lunata.
T h e M u g i l w itli a lan c eo la te scale a t th e p e c to ra l a n d v e n tra l fins ; th re e sp in e s in th e
an a l fin ; th e ta il su b -lu n a te .
C a lled b y th e N a tiv e s K u n n e s e e .
B . y . D -~ . 9 . P. 1 4 . V .T . A . m . G. 1 8 .
T h e body oblong, thickish, compressed, squamous, smooth. Scales sub-orbicular, truncate at the base, not
tenacious.
T he head ovate, roundish, compressed ; tlie crown and front depressed; the nose short, soft, obtuse, but does
not project so far over the mouth as in the last fish; the crown and cheeks squamous. The mouth small,
without teeth ; lips simple. Jaws short, extractile ; the under somewhat shorter than the upper ; the former
carinate, and the latter grooved as in the Mullet. Tongue thickish, smooth, fixed. Palate tuberculate. The
eyes high, advanced, large, orbicular. Nostrils higli, double, the posterior oval. The branchial opercula
rounded, bony, without scales, smootii ; the membrane covered ; aperture arched.
The trunk. The back straiglit to the second dorsal fin, it then declines more sensibly tlian in the Mullet; the
breast and abdomen convex ; the exterior branchiæ pectinate ; no lateral line visible. Anus remote.
Thejǫi- The dorsal fins as in the Mullet, but the posterior more falcate; the pectoral middle, acuminate;
the ventral decline from the second ray ; the anal longer than the dorsal, exactly opposite, sub-falcate ; the
caudal siib-Iunate.
The colour of the head and back, grayish ; the face, sides, belly, and throat, white ; the dorsal and caudal
fins a dark gray ; the otliers whitish.
REMARKS.
This fish, at first sight, is easily mistaken for a young Mullet; in what it will be found to differ may be comprised
in the few follow'ing distinctions. The nose is less prominent ; the cheeks are squamous ; the branchial
membrane has five ossicles ; the lanceolate squamæ at the pectoral and ventral fins, and the three spines in
the anal fin, are ivanting in the Mullet.