(52 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



closely dotted with minute black points : the inferior half of opercle also minutely dotted with 

 black. Second dorsal dotted with black, and darkest anteriorly. Caudal darkest posteriorly 

 especially at the points of its lobes. Anal finely dotted in the same way as the second dorsal. 

 Pectoral, its appendages, and ventral nearly white. 



Air bladder present, " its form is oval and the membrane is silvery and thick. It occupies the 

 whole length of the abdomen, terminating posteriorly in a very sharp point, which penetrates the 

 muscles of the tail over the first interspinal of the anal. It adheres to the abdominal vertebra 

 from the third to the seventh. From either side towards the ventral surface proceed from twenty- 

 eight to thirty-five appendages, which with the exception of the three last have two roots, but 

 terminate in a single sharp point. Above each of these, towards the dorsal surface, appear one 

 or two others. All the appendages penetrate the thick of the muscles, and are slightly directed 

 towards the back of the fish." Cuv. if Val. hi. p. 285. 



Grows to three feet in length, but rarely exceeds 20 lbs. in weight. As an article of diet it is 

 inferior to the P. tetradachjlus, both of which are termed Rowball at Vizagapatam. Its great 

 value consists in the isinglass which is obtained from its air bladder, a large fish yielding about 

 two ounces of good quality. It is probable that much of the isinglass exported from Malabar 

 under the designation of "fish maws" is produced from this species. 



Habitat — Seas of India, Malaysia, and extending to the coasts of Australia. 



POLYNEMUS TETEADACTYLUS. 



Polynemus teteadactylus, Shaw, v. p. 155; Cuv. & Val. iii. p. 375. vii. p. 514 ; 



McClelland, J. A. 8. viii. 1839, p. 206 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 25 ; Gunther, Catal. 



ii. p. 329. 

 Maja-jellee, Russell, pi. 183. 



Polynemus teeia, Earn. Buck, pp. 224, 381 ; Gray, Illust. I. Z., i. pi. 92, f. 2. 

 Polynemus salliah, et quadeifilis, Cantor, Catal. J. A. S., v. p. 166. 



B. vii. D. 8 | rg.Lg. P. 16, iv. V. \. A. r ^ [r . C. 17. L. 1. 75-85. L. tr. T? . 

 D. 8-9 | xj.Vg. P. 17, iv. V. J. A. -,-§;{ g. C. 17. according to Cantor. 



Length of head \, of pectoral J, of caudal \, of base of first dorsal ^V, of base of secuml 

 dorsal \, of base of anal } of total length. Height of head \, of body \, of first dorsal I, of 

 second dorsal \, of ventral y 1 ^, of anal T of total length. 



E ves — Oval, with adipose lids, covering nearly half their width. Horizontal diameter §, 

 vertical diameter yy of length of head, J transverse diameter from end of snout, 1 transverse 

 diameter apart. 



Body long, rather compressed and tapering towards both extremities. 



Mouth oblique, deeply cleft, and not protrusible, the maxiUa extends the length of transverse 

 diameter of the orbit behind its posterior margin. Lower jaw shortest, snout diaphanous, over- 

 hanging, and advanced before the jaws : nostrils at its outer margin : under surface of lower 

 jaw nearly flat. Preopercle, its ascending limb obliquely convex, slightly produced just above the 

 angle, the whole being finely and evenly serrated except on the angle where the serratures are 

 finer and less distinct, its lower limb short and entire. Iuterorbital space nearly flat. 



Teeth — Exceedingly numerous and very fine, covering the whole of the exposed and inferior 



