58 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



merit of the anal, where it becomes straight, and is so continued to the end of caudal fin. Each 

 scale has a raised horizontal tube, which in some, especially those most anterior, have a horizontal 

 depression along their centre as well as on each side, and posteriorly there are offsets from the tube 

 of smaller tubular processes. 



Stomach elongated, cylindrical, with four CEecopyloric appendages. Air vessel half length of 

 body, large, flattened, broad, lanceolate, terminating behind in a short point, and having thirty-four 

 processes, of which the anterior four or five divide into four branches, the next into three, the 

 succeeding ones into two, while the posterior processes which are slightly longer than the preceding 

 ones are simple : all again divide into minor ramifications. (Cantor.) 



Colours — Dull brownish red with silvery reflections ; sides of body, of head and abdomen 

 whitish silvery ; the upper portion of opercle steel blue. Dorsal with a tinge of dull red, exter- 

 nally minutely dotted with brown spots ; the other fins yellow, with a dash of red. Eye golden, 

 reddish brown superiorly. 



Grows to two feet and a half in length. Good eating, fresh or salted, and from its air-vessel 

 isinglass can be manufactured. Is not very common in Malabar. Termed Pectiepierre at 

 Pondicherry. 



Habitat — Seas of India and Malaysia. 



* Otolithus aegenteus. 



Otolithus aegenteus, Cuv. & Vol. v. p. 62 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 61 ; Guniher, Catal. 

 ii. p. 310. 



B. vii. D. 9-10 | ^h». P. 20. V. \. A. f . C. 17. L. 1. 70. Csec. pylor. 6. 



Length of head ^ to § of total length. Height of body nearly ^ of total length. 



Eyes — Diameter from ^ to ^ of length of head. 



Preopercle with very small denticulations. 



Teeth — Villiform, with two — sometimes three — canines on either side of symphysis of maxilla, 

 of which the posterior, or centre one when three are present, is the longest ; the canines are suc- 

 ceeded by a series of distant, conical teeth. On either side of symphysis of lower jaw is a small 

 canine, and inside the villiform series a row of large conical ones, some of which in size exceed 

 the lower canines. 



Fins — Anal spine feeble, one third the length of the first soft ray. Caudal rhomboidal. 



Scales — None on fins. 



Colours — Upper surface of head and back iridescent greyish green, with pale reddish reflec- 

 tions. Sides of head and below lateral line reddish golden. Upper part and posterior margin of 

 opercle blackish blue. Dorsal interspinous membrane reddish ; caudal, reddish yellow minutely 

 dotted with brown and having black margins. Pectoral, ventral aud anal pale yellowish red. Iris 

 golden, bluish black towards the orbit. The colours are lighter in the young. 



Air bladder small, very narrow, lanceolate, about one quarter the length of the fish, and ter- 

 minating in a fine point; from each side of the body of the air-vessel proceed twenty-five branched 

 processes, of which the anterior are the largest, and have the greatest number of branchlets. 



The quantity of isinglass yielded by this species is small but very good. 



Grows to two feet seven inches in length. 



Habitat — Seas of Malabar, Malaysia, and China. 



