32 



THE FISHES OF MALABAE. 



Eyes — Diameter slightly exceeding ^ of length of head, nearly J diameter from end of snout, 

 Y of a diameter apart. 



Form of body rounded, strongly compressed. Snout rather produced. Mouth small, slightly 

 protractile. Maxilla extends two-thirds of the distance to orbit. Preorbital with elevated margins, 

 forming a slight tubercle anteriorly. Preopercle narrow, finely serrated at its angle, lower limb 

 slightly oblique aud two-thirds the height of the vertical one. Interopercle large, entire, and 

 produced downwards in a somewhat triangular form. Subopercle entire. Opercle with two obtuse 

 points, divided by a long but shallow emargination. 



Teeth — Slender and close like the hairs of a brush. 



Fins — Spinous portion of dorsal occupying just half of the base of the fin, spines broad : inter- 

 spinous membrane deeply notched. Fifth and sixth spines longest ; central rays of soft portion the 

 longest. Ventral spine moderately strong, equalling the length of the third dorsal. Third anal spine 

 strongest, but second slightly the longest. Dorsal fin evenly rounded from commencement of 

 spines to the last soft ray. Pectoral short. Ventral triangular, first ray produced, with an elon- 

 gated scale at its base. Soft portion of anal equally rounded with the soft portion of the dorsal. 

 Caudal nearly straight. 



Scales — Large, and deciduous, extending to the snout over the pre- and suborbitals and 

 opercles. The dorsal is scaled in an oblique arched line, commencing at the root of the third 

 spine, and continued so that only the points of the three last are visible ; whilst its soft rays, those 

 of the anal and sometimes the base of the caudal, are likewise scaled. The scales on the anal 

 begin at the base of the first spine, and are continued in a curved line so that merely the outer 

 third of the last spine is visible. 



Lateral fine — First ascends to the root of the last dorsal spine, then follows the base of the 

 soft rays. 



Colours — Generally brownish olive, each scale with a light citron spot in its centre. One 

 bluish white band passes in front of the dorsal fin, over the opercle and downwards to the 

 throat, where it expands. A second band passes across the preorbital, and over the cheek to the 

 throat, opposite the orbit it gives off another small bluish white band, which passes to the angle of 

 the mouth, and then downwards to the throat. A bluish white line exists on the forehead, and 

 passes to the eye, where it is lost. Dorsal and anal fins tinged with reddish violet, the upper fourth 

 of the soft portion is margined with six bands in the following order from without, white, black, 

 scarlet, black, pearl white and black, the colours are slightly extended on to the spines. Anal, 

 tipped with three rows, white, black and scarlet. Caudal, posterior half pearly white, divided by 

 a black band from a scarlet base. Pectoral diaphanous. Ventral black. Eyes hazel. 



Common ha Malabar for about a fortnight in June subsequent to the commencement of the 

 monsoon. Grows to six inches in length. Cantor observes that it is esteemed at Pinang as food. 

 Habitat — Malabar, Pinang. 



Genus HENIOCHUS, Guv. & Veil. 

 Taueichthys, Guv. & Veil. 



Branchiostegals, five : pseudobranchiae. Body compressed and elevated. One dorsal with from eleven 

 to thirteen spines, the fourth of which is much elongated and filiform. Vertical fins more or less scaled. 

 Snout short, or of moderate length. Preopercle entire, or finely serrated. Teeth villiform, none on palate. 

 Scales of moderate size, finely ctenoid, or smooth. Lateral line continuous. An air bladder. Pyloric 

 appendages few. 



