THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 43 



MlNOUS MONODACTYLUS. 

 SCORP^ENA MONODACTYLA, Bl. Schl. p. 194. 



Worraii minoo, Russell, pi. 159. 



Minous woora, Guv. & Val. iv. p. 421. 



Minous monodactylus, Guv. & Val. iv. p. 424, pi. 59, f. 2 ; Giinther, Catal. ii. p. 148. 



Corytiiobatus woora, Cantor, Catal. p. 45. 



B. vii. D. T%y. P. 11. V. l A. 9-11. CIO. 



Length of head J, of pectoral f , of caudal \, of base of dorsal J of total length. Height of 

 head \, of body \, of hard dorsal \, of soft dorsal \, of ventral \, of anal \ of total length. 



Eyes — Diameter f of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, 1 diameter apart. 



The macxilla extends to beneath the anterior margin of orbit. Intermaxillary rather deeply 

 notched. Lower jaw with tubercle at symphysis. Spinous elevations over nostrils. Smooth ridges 

 radiating from a common centre on the suborbital ring of bones. A strong spine on preorbital 

 equal to the diameter of the eye. Preopercle with a strong spine, at angle three others shorter 

 and blunter, and one more on its lower hmb. Temporal and occipital ridges spinous; three 

 moderate sized spines at anterior superior margin of orbit, superciliary ridge rough, nodulated, 

 or spinous. 



Teeth — Villiform on jaws and vomer : none on palatines. 



Fins — Dorsal spines moderately strong, first spine situated over vertical limb of preopercle, 

 interspinous membrane deeply cleft. Pectoral rather large, extending to the commencement of 

 soft dorsal. One pectoral appendage, nearly the length of the fin, which in dried specimens often 

 separates into two. Caudal rays undivided, membrane notched. 



Scales — None. 



Colours — Head greyish brown above, sides and abdomen rather lighter. Dorsal fin light 

 brown, with the external margins of spines and outer half of rays deep black. Anal buff, external 

 half black. Pectoral black, appendage white. Caudal buff coloured, with three vertical dark 

 brown bars. Iris grey, minutely dotted with brown. 



Common in Malabar, grows to four or five inches in length. Is not esteemed as food. 



Habitat — Seas of India, Malaysia, and China. 



Genus PLATYCEPHALUS, Bl. Schn. 



Branchiostegals, seven : pseudobranchias. Head broad, depressed, more or less armed with spines, 

 body sub cylindrical posteriorly. Eyes superior or lateral. Cleft of mouth wide. Two dorsals, with a 

 small isolated spine in front of first. Anal equally developed to soft dorsal. Ventrals thoracic. No 

 pectoral appendage. Villiform teeth in jaws, vomer, and palatines, sometimes with larger ones intermingled. 

 Body scaled. Lateral fine present, spined in some species. No air bladder. Pyloric appendages in 

 moderate number. 



• Platycephalus INSIDIATOR. 



COTTUS INSIDIATOR, ForsMl, p. 25. 



G 2 



