THE FISHES OF MALABAK. 57 



nporclo denticulated or ercnulated. Bony operde ending in one or two flal points. Two dorsal fins, the 



first with nine or ten feeble spines, the sol't portion more developed than the spinous or than the anal. Anal 

 with two small spines. Pectoral rays branched. Ventral thoracic, with one spine and five soil rays. 

 Teeth in villiform bands, with more or less distinct conical canines, either in both jaws or only in the 

 upper. A large loose hone in each auricular cavity. Scales of moderate size, ctenoid. Air bladder present, 

 and with lateral appendages. Pyloric appendages few. 



Otolithus ruber. 



102 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 59 ; Giinther, Catal. 



0. 17. L. 1. 50. L. tr. T 7 f . 



Length of head, from ^ in the young to f in the adult, of pectoral t^j, of caudal -f.j, base of 

 first dorsal J, base of second dorsal jq, base of anal y^ of total length. Height of head ■! , of body 

 little more than A, of first dorsal ^, of second dorsal T Yf, of ventral -fj of total length. 



Eyes — Diameter rather more than \ of head, 1\ diameters apart, 1 diameter from end of snout. 



Body gradually decreases in size from the head to the tail, sides moderately compressed. 



Mouth protrusible, lower jaw longest ; when closed its extremity is received into an emargi- 

 nation in end of upper jaw. Maxilla very wide at its posterior extremity ; it extends backwards 

 to below the middle of orbit. Preorbital, long narrow ; preopercle, posterior margin vertical, angle 

 rounded, lower margin nearly horizontal, all with fine denticulations, which on the lower limb 

 become very small and blunt. Opercle triangular, base in front, with one point moderately dis- 

 tinct at centre of posterior margin, and a smaller one above it. Sub- and interopercles entire, 

 interorbital space rather convex. Nostrils opening at anterior superior margin of orbit, in rather 

 a depressed triangular space, having an elevated margin above, and bounded below by continuations 

 from the orbital rim. 



Teeth — On either side of centre of upper jaw closely approximating, two conical teeth, the 

 internal the shortest, with a row of villiform ones behind, and a very fine brush-like series posterior 

 to them : a single external series of sharp short conical ones along the jaw, with an internal series of 

 several rows of brush-like ones. Two large canines in lower jaw at its centre, with several rows 

 of villiform ones behind, a single row of sharp short conical ones moderately far apart along either 

 limb of lower jaw. 



Fins — First dorsal and ventral arise on a fine, slightly behind the origin of the pectoral. 

 Second dorsal commences midway between snout and base of caudal. Anal commences opposite 

 centre of second dorsal. First dorsal of a long triangular shape, spines weak, extending beyond 

 the membrane which is rather deeply notched, first spine one-third the length of second, which is 

 about the same length as the third, from whence they rapidly decrease. Second dorsal slightly 

 highest in front, but its upper margin is parallel with curve of back. Pectoral pointed. Ventral 

 triangular. Anal square, spine one-third the length of rays. Caudal pointed in the young, but 

 becomes rounded with age. 



Scales — Cover body, cheeks, snout and lower jaw, with some along the centre of caudal. 

 The rows ascend backwards, and in rather an irregularly arched direction from above the lateral 

 line, below it they pass more regularly upwards and backwards towards it. 



Lateral line— Gradually descends, forming a sort of curve to a little beyond the commence- 



I 



