THE FISnES OF MALABAR. 7 



* Serranus FORMOSUS. 

 Raiitee bontoo, Russell, pi. 129. 

 Serranus formosus, Cuv. & Vat. ii. p. 311 ; Gimthcr, Catal. i. p. 154. 



B.vii. V.nshs- p - 15 - Y -h A -^-V a1 ^ L - r - 75 ' 



Length of head nearly J of total length. Eyes, diameter T % of length of head. Prcopercle 

 finely and evenly serrated ; suboporclo with some serratures : intcropercle entire. Three strong 

 spines on the opcrcle. 



Colours When alive extremely brilliant, but they soon fade after death ; snout pale blue, lips 



and throat spotted with a deeper blue, and fillets of the same colour diverge from the orbit, and cross 

 the yellow opercle, and branchial membrane. Back and sides variegated alternately with azure 

 and dark yellow fillets. Dorsal interspinous membrane pale blue, edged with yellow ; the other 

 fins azure striped with dusky yellow. 



Habitat — Seas of India, Malaysia, and China. 



Genus GENYOROGE, Cantor. 

 Diacope, Cuv. & Vol. 



Branchiostegals, seven. Preopercle with a notch above its angle as deep as broad, receiving a more or 

 less spinous knob of the interopercle. Opercle with two or three flat spines. Dorsal fin single, with from 

 ten to eleven, rarely more, spines ; anal with three. Teeth villiform, with canines in both jaws : teeth on 

 palatines : tongue smooth, scales moderate. 



GENYOROGE CffiRULEOPUNCTATA. 



Kallee maee, Russell, pi. 96. 



Diacope cxeruleopunctata, Cuv. & Veil. ii. p. 424. 



Genyoroge cozruleopunctata, Gunther, Catal. i. p. 182. 



B.vii. D. f5. P. 16-17. V.J. A. 3$. C.17. L. 1. 45-50. L. tr. &. 



Length of head \, of pectoral \, of caudal \, of base of dorsal \, of base of anal \ of total 

 length. Height of head \, of body J, of hard dorsal \, of soft dorsal }, of ventral \, of anal \ of 

 the total length. 



Byes — Transversely oval, horizontal diameter 3§, and vertical diameter 4f in the length of the 

 head, rather more than 1 diameter from the end of snout, and \ a diameter apart. 



The profile rises considerably to the commencement of the dorsal fin, the eye is close to the 

 summit of the head. 



The maxilla extends backwards as far as the anterior margin of orbit : openings of nostrils 

 in front of upper quarter of orbit. Preorbital with an irregular lower margin. Preopercle, 

 vertical limb finely serrated, even in its notch which is situated close to where it makes its inferior 

 curve, angle rounded, lower limb rather oblique, more coarsely serrated than its vertical margm. 

 Sub- and interopercles entire, the latter with a large triangular tuberosity directed a little 

 upwards and backwards and received into the preopercular notch ; opercle with two flattened spines, 

 the lower the largest. 



Teeth— Villiform in both jaws in three or four rows, with an external series about three times 

 the size of the others : two large canines in each intermaxillary. Villiform teeth on vomer and palate. 



Fins— Dorsal spines very strong, increasing in length to the third, whilst from the fifth they 



