24 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



Excellent eating, captured in Malabar about July ; and commonly known as the " Black rock 

 fish." It grows to two feet and upwards in length. 



Habitat — Seas of India and Malaysia as far as coasts of N. W. Australia. 



* DlAGRAMMA GRISEUM. 



Diagramma griseum, Cuv. & Vol. v. p. 306; Giinther, Catal. i. p. 321. 



D12 A3 Vpvt, Ifl 

 • 2T- - a - 7" vert. 16 . 



Length of head ^ of total length. Height of head J of total length. 

 Fins — Second anal spine strong. Caudal truncated. 



Colours — Interior of mouth orange : body clear brown or grey. Fins grey, tinged with rose 

 colour. 



Length to eight inches. 

 Habitat — Malabar. 



Genus LOBOTES, Cuvier. 



Branchiostegals, six : pseudobranchiffi. Body and fins rather elevated. Eyes rather small, snout blunt, 

 lower jaw longest, cleft of mouth oblique. One dorsal with twelve, anal with three spines. Preopercle 

 denticulated. Opercle with obtuse points. No canine teeth : inferior pharyngeal bones separated. Scales 

 moderate, ctenoid. Air bladder simple. Pyloric appendages few. 



LOBOTES SURINAMENSIS. 



HOLOCENTRUS SURINAMENSIS, Block, t. 243. 

 LOBOTES SURINAMENSIS, CuV. & Vol. V. p. 319. 



Lobotes Farkharii et L. somnolentus, Cuv. & Vol. v. p. 324. 

 Lobotes erate, Cuv. & Vol. v. p. 319 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 80. 

 Lobotes auctorum, Giinther, Catal. i. p. 338. 

 Parrandee, Med. 



B.vi. D. i^Pig. P. 15-17. V.l A.^. C. 17-18. L. 1. 48. L. tr. ft. Vert, jf. 



Length of head f , of pectoral l of caudal \, of base of dorsal £, of base of anal £ of total 

 length. Height of head \, of body f , of hard dorsal \, of soft dorsal fa, of ventral J, of anal 1 of 

 total length. 



Eyes— Situated near upper profile, diameter } of length of head, 1 diameter from end of 

 snout, nearly 2 diameters apart. 



Maxilla extends to beneath anterior third of orbit. Snout elevated. Preorbital entire. 

 Preopercle, vertical hmb strongly denticulated, the strongest teeth being at the angle, which is 

 rounded, and slightly produced ; inferior limb nearly horizontal. Sub- and interopercles entire. 

 Opercle with a blunt point. Suprascapular serrated, scapular entire, coracoid finely serrated. 



Teeth — Villiform, with an external conical row. 



Fins— Dorsal spines strong, the spinous portion occupies a little more than half the fin, 

 membrane deeply emarginate, third spine the longest. Ventral spine strong. Third anal spine 

 one-fifth longer than the second, which is three-tenths longer than the first. Soft portions of 

 dorsal, anal, pectoral, and caudal fins rounded. 



Scales — Above lateral line smaller than those below. 



