THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 47 



inferior portion. Operclo radiated below, finely granulated or vermiculated over the rest of its 

 surface, its posterior superior border fringed. Spine on shoulder small and flat. No spine on 

 sub- or preopercles. Posterior margin of occipital straight, unnotched. Posterior orifice of ni «1 ill 

 long, and with a fringed border, anterior round. 



Teeth — In upper jaw villiform : strong, crooked, and rather distant apart in the lower jaw. 



Scales — Small, and in oblique lines. 



Colours — Brownish in spirit, with large oval spots forming two series on either side, and 

 three in front : those in the same rows sometimes coalescing and forming bands. Below the lateral 

 line of a whitish colour. Dorsal with two series of spots as on the back. Pectoral whitish, with 

 a brown transverse band across its centre, and also a spot near its base. Caudal whitish with a 

 laro-e irre<nilar brownish transverse band. Ventral and anal whitish. When fresh the colours are 

 said to be reddish and the spots orange. 



Not eatable, grows to two feet in length. 



Habitat — Seas of India. 



Genus SILLAGO, Cuv. 



Branchiostegals, sis : pseudohranchise. Body elongate, somewhat cylindrical. Head rather pointed. 

 Two dorsals, the first with from nine to twelve spines, the spinous portion with its base shorter than that of 

 the soft. Anal developed like soft dorsal. Ventral thoracic, one spine and five rays, the lower of which 

 are branched. Cleft of mouth small, upper jaw slightly the longest. Eyes lateral. Gill opening wide. 

 Villiform teeth in jaws and vomer, none on palate. Preopercle denticulated : opercle ending in a point. 

 Bones of head with a developed muciferous system. Infraorbital ring of bones do not articulate with 

 preopercle. Body scaled, scales ctenoid. Air bladder simple. Pyloric appendages few. 



SlLLAGO S1HAMA. 



Atherina sihama, Forsk., p. 70. 

 Soring, Russell, pi. 113. 

 Sillago acuta, Cuv. & Val. iii. p. 400. 

 Sillago erythema, Cuv. & Val. iii. p. 409. 

 Sillago malabarica, Cantor, Catal. p. 21. 

 Sillago sihama, Gitnther, Catal. ii. p. 243. 

 Cudeerah, Mai. 



B.vi. D. 10-11 | 20 W P- 15 - 16 - v -i- A -22-W c - 17 - L.1.74. L.tr.f^. 



Length of head T 3 5 , of pectoral |, of caudal £, of base of first dorsal £, of base of second 

 dorsal f , of base of anal ^ of total length. Height of head J, of body ^, of first dorsal &, of 

 second dorsal ^ T , of ventral £, of anal ^ of total length. 



Eyes— Oval, upper margin close to profile, horizontal diameter §, vertical diameter £ of 

 length of head, 2 diameters from end of snout, 1 diameter apart. 



Head cone-shaped, ending in an obtuse point where the mouth is situated, the snout being 

 long. Body most compressed at its posterior third. 



