the fishes of malabar. 33 



Heniochus macrolepidotus. 



Chcetodon macrolepidotus, Artedi, p. 94. 



Heniochus acuminatus, Guv. & Vol. vii. p. 98. 



Heniochus permutatus, Cuv. & Vol. vii. p. 99. 



Heniochus macrolepidotus, Car. & Val. vii. p. 93; Guniher, ( lata! ii. p. 39. 



Diphreutes macrolepidotus, Cantor, Catal. p. 159. 



PURROAMEE, Mill. 



B.v. D. J^f. P. 17. V.f A.^. C.17. L.1.G0. L. tr. &. Vert. j«. Cooc. pylor. G. 



Length of head f , of pectoral \, of caudal -}, of base of dorsal -§, of base of anal f of total 

 length. Height of head \, of body f, of hard dorsal (excluding the fourth spine which equals the 

 total length) \, of soft dorsal \, of ventral \, of anal \ of total length. 



Eyes — Close to profile, diameter slightly more than \ of length of head, 1 diameter from end of 

 snout, -jj- of a diameter apart. 



Snout moderately produced, profile rises direct from orbits to dorsal fin. Maxilla extends 

 half way to anterior margin of orbit, A small protuberance above each orbit, but none on nape 

 of neck. Preorbital large, entire, with its anterior superior angle elevated. Preopercle, vertical 

 limb narrow, more than twice as long as inferior one, posterior margin straight and finely serrated, 

 especially at its angle, horizontal limb straight. Sub- and interopercles entire. Opercle with two 

 obtuse points widely separated, and connected by a shallow emargination. 



Teeth — In jaws villiform, none on palate. 



Fins— Dorsal spines moderately strong, they occupy rather more than half the base of the fin, the 

 fourth filamentous at its extremity, the sixth longer than the third, and the fifth longer than either. 

 Ventral spine rather strong. Two last anal spines about the same length and strength. Pectoral 

 rather rounded. Ventral triangular. Anal opposite soft portion of dorsal, and its anterior rays 

 much the longest. Caudal nearly square at its extremity. 



Scales — Longest diameter from above downwards : some cover most of the dorsal and 

 anal spines, and the soft rays, also the base of the caudal, and are extended on to the snout and 

 cheeks. 



Lateral bne — Curves upwards to upper fourth of body, and opposite the end of the soft dorsal 

 it takes a straight direction. 



Colours — Pearl white with a purplish bar on the summit of the snout, another over the eye, 

 and a third broad one extending from the dorsal to the abdominal surface, its posterior half includes 

 the first three dorsal spines and the posterior two-thirds of the opercle, and passing downwards 

 includes the whole of the ventral fin and extends as far backwards as the anal. The last band 

 commences at the summit of the fifth dorsal spine, passes downwards to the base of the seventh, 

 and is as wide as to the first ray ; it then passes downwards over the posterior third of the abdomen, 

 and includes the posterior half of the anal fin. The soft portions of the dorsal and caudal are of a 

 bright gamboge colour. Pectoral yellow. Iris gamboge, purplish towards the orbit. 



Common, said to grow to eighteen inches in length. 



Habitat — From the Mauritius through all the East Indian seas to the N.W. Coast of Australia. 



