THE FISHES OF MALABAB. 51 



The fifth which is opposite the last lew rays of the second dorsal, takes the same course. Some- 

 times there is a sixth over the caudal . The upper two-thirds of the first dorsal is stained hlack, 

 deepest in colour posteriorly, and terminating opposite its eighth spine. The upper half of the 

 second dorsal is stained black along its wholo extent. Caudal slightly tinged with black. The 

 other fins yellowish. 



Not considered good eating ; grows to one foot in length. . 



Habitat — Seas of India. 



SCLENA DUSSUMIERI. 

 CoEVINA DUSSUMIERI, CuV. <C' VaL V. p. 119. 



Johnius Dussumieri, Cantor, Catal. p. 64. 

 Sci^ena Dussumieri, Guntker, Catal. ii. p. 292. 



D. 9-10. | ro _Vr. P- 18. V. i. A. f, C. 15. L. 1. 52. L. tr. £. Vert. {$. 



Length of head T 3 3, of pectoral T 2 3, of caudal ^, of base of first dorsal f s , of base of second 

 dorsal §, of base of anal | of the total length. Height of head f x , of body nearly \, of first dorsal 

 \, of second dorsal \, of ventral T 2 3 , of anal |- of the total length. 



Eyes— Oval, horizontal diameter \, vertical diameter \ of length of head, 1 diameter from end 

 of snout, 1 diameter apart. 



Body elongated, the profile from ventrals to anterior extremity of the first dorsal forms an 

 obtuse angle. The dorsal profile is rather more convex than that of the abdomen. 



Head rounded anteriorly, upper jaw the longest, the snout projects over the mouth, the cleft 

 of which is somewhat oblique. The posterior extremity of the maxilla reaches to opposite the 

 posterior third of the orbit. Preopercle descends rather obliquely backwards, its angle rounded, 

 its inferior Hmb at first very oblique, and not one half of the length of the posterior one : both are 

 finely serrated. The opercle has a fine point, and ends in a soft extremity. Interorbital space 

 convex. Posterior nostril vertically oval, close to centre of orbit, the anterior midway between 

 snout and orbit. Five moderately sized pores under centre of mandibulae. 



Teeth — Villiform with an external row of crooked conical ones in the upper jaw, whilst in the 

 lower the posterior row is the largest on each ramus. 



Fins — First dorsal slightly in advance of pectoral, and ventral slightly behind it. The second 

 dorsal commences over the end of the pectoral. The anal arises under eleventh ray of dorsal. 

 The last dorsal ray reaches as far as the base of the caudal ; the distance from the root of the last 

 anal ray to the base of the caudal equals the length of the caudal fin. Pectoral rounded. Ventral 

 spine weak, ending in a thin point, and rather longer than the transverse diameter of the orbit. 

 First dorsal forms a long triangle, first spine short, the second the longest in the fin ; interspinous 

 membrane deeply notched. Spine of second dorsal nearly half the length of the rays, which 

 are about equal, except the last four or five which are shorter. First anal spine short, second 

 moderately strong, and three fifths of length of first ray, and rather longer than the base of the fin : 

 it equals the distance from the posterior extremity of orbit to anterior nostril : its first ray longest : 

 the fin rounded. Caudal rounded. 



S ca l es _They cover the head, the jaws and the body ; and their exposed portions are lozenge- 

 shaped. A low band exists along the base of the first dorsal, and along the lower half of the 

 second dorsal, whilst fine ones are continued on the latter fin as far as its external margin ; the 

 anal and caudal are equally scaled, and there are a few on the pectoral and the ventral. Above 



h 2 



