THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 45 



immediately on being captured knocked on the head. Is eaten by the Natives. Said to grow to 

 eighteen inches in length. 



Habitat— Bed Sea to the coast of South Africa, and through all the Indian seas to N. W. 

 AustraUa. 



• 



PLATYCErilALUS MALABARICUS. 



Platycefiialus Malabaricus, Guv. & Vul. iv. p. 245 ; Gunther, Catal. ii. p. 181. 

 Platycephalus carbunculus, Cav. & Val. ix. p. 401 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 39. 





B. vii. D. 1 | 8 | 11-12. P. 19. V. i. A. 12. C. 15. L. r. 85. L. tr. 



Length of head f , of pectoral j 2 ^, of caudal T 2 g, of base of first dorsal fy, of base of second 

 dorsal \, of base of anal x 2 j of total length. Height of head ^ T , of body ^, of first dorsal T 2 ^, of 

 second dorsal yj, of ventral ^, of anal j 1 ^ of total length. 



Eyes — Situated on the upper and outer surface of the head, their superior margins forming a 

 portion of its upper surface. Horizontal diameter ^, vertical diameter | of length of head, ^ a 

 diameter apart, lh from end of snout. 



Body subcylindrical ; head depressed and flattened, but not nearly so much as in the last 

 species. 



Lower jaw longest ; the maxilla extends to beneath the anterior margin of orbit. Interorbital 

 space slightly concave from side to side. At the anterior superior angle of the orbit a sharp spine 

 exists, and five more directed backwards, are placed along the superciliary ridge, which is conti- 

 nued over the occiput, and has a sharp spine about its centre. From the upper third of the posterior 

 margin of the orbit commences the temporal ridge, which contains five or six spines ; and at the 

 suprascapular it terminates in two broad flattened spines. Nostrils rather wide apart, not defended 

 by spines. Preorbital large, rather rugose. Intermaxillaries protrusible. Two sharp spines at 

 lower margin of orbit, directed backwards, from the posterior of which runs a crest to the angle 

 of the preopercle, where there are two strong spines, the largest and superior of which equals half 

 the diameter of the eye, is directed backwards, and has a small spinous projection at its base ; the 

 lowest is directed backwards and downwards. Opercle with two spines, not very wide apart, the 

 lower being the termination of a smooth ridge. 



Teeth — Vflliform on each intermaxillary, also on vomer, and palate. 



Fins — As in the last sjDecies, except that the interspinous membrane of first dorsal is more 

 deeply emarginate, and the caudal is nearly square. 



Scales — Small, ctenoid, extending as far forwards as the orbits, and over opercles. 



Lateral line — Smooth and a little above the central half of the body. 



Colours — Greenish buff; head, cheeks, and sides spotted with blackish brown, and sometimes 

 having numerous black points intermingled. Irregular dark bands on head and body. Throat 

 and abdomen dirty white. First dorsal diaphanous, upper half blackish. Second dorsal, pectoral, 

 ventral, and caudal dirty white, the rays spotted with brown. Posterior half of caudal blackish, 

 with sometimes two or three vertical wavy white lines. Anal white, with some brown spots at its 

 external margin. Iris greenish golden, spotted with brown. 



Common in Malabar, along with the last ; grows to eleven inches in length. Is eaten by the 

 Natives. 



Habitat — Seas of India and Malaysia. 



