THE FISHES OP MALABAR. 



27 



Length of head ?„ of pectoral \, of caudal \, of base of dorsal \, of base of anal }, of total 

 length. Height of head 1, of body \, of hard dorsal fa of soft dorsal ^, of ventral \, of anal ,',, 

 of total length. 



Eyes — Close to profile, and transversely oval, horizontal diameter \, vertical diameter ., in 

 length of head, § of a diameter from end of snout. 



Nape short, profile convex from snout to dorsal. Lower jaw longest. 



Maxilla extends as far as to below anterior third of orbit. Preopercle, vertical limb finely 

 serrated in its lower half, whilst from between each serrature a fine furrow runs forwards and down- 

 wards ; angle rounded, entire: lower limb horizontal, entire. Sub- and interopercles entire. 

 Opercle ending in a dull point. Preorbital half the diameter of the eye in width, entire, but fur- 

 rowed downwards and backwards. Nostrils approximating and close to orbit. Shoulder bones 

 entire. Three rows of scales between orbit and margin of preopercle, none between or before the 

 orbits. Three oval facets on under surface of lower jaw, the posterior the largest. 



Teeth — An external row of six curved canines in intermaxillaries, with villiform ones behind, 

 and covering both upper and lower jaws in about five rows. 



Fins — Dorsal spines weak, and extending over more than half the base of the fins. Inter- 

 spinous membrane not notched : second spine one tenth longer than first, and the same amount 

 shorter than the third, from thence they continue much the same length. Ventral spine weak, 

 first ray prolonged. Anal spines weak, second one-third longer than the first, but one-twentieth 

 shorter than the third. There are scaly grooves in which the hard portions of the dorsal and anal, 

 and also a portion of the rays can be laid flat. Caudal deeply emarginate, the first and second rays 

 on either side being prolonged. Pectoral pointed, reaching nearly as far as the first ray of anal. 



Scales — Large, arranged in horizontal rows, a few extend over the base of the caudal ; they are 

 rather smaller above than below the lateral Hne, which runs parallel with the back in the upper 

 fifth of the body. 



Colours — Yellowish, with reddish longitudinal lines passing along each row of scales. Upper 

 portion of head and opercles dull reddish. Throat, chin and chest yellowish, the colours below 

 the lateral line lighter than those above it. Dorsal fin yellowish, with a grey base and pinkish 

 exterior. Caudal reddish, stained with grey externally. Anal yellowish with a grey base, and two 

 reddish stripes along its foremost part. Ventral yellowish with a grey base. Pectoral reddish 

 yellow. Eyes golden. 



Rare. Length 7 T 2 o inches. 



Habitat — Cochin on the Malabar Coast. 



Genus UPENEOIDES, Bleeher. 



Upeneus, sp. Cuv. & Vol. 



Branchiostegals, four : pseudobranchiae. Form of body elongate, slightly compressed. Eyes moderate, 

 lateral. Mouth in front of snout rather small. Hyal apparatus with two long barbels. Fine teeth on 

 jaws, vomer, and palatine bones. Two dorsals. Scales large and deciduous. Air bladder absent. Stomach 

 siphonal. 



Upeneoides vittatus. 



Mullus vittatus, ForsMl, Faun. Arab. p. 31. 



E 2 



