THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 71 



Eyes — Each having rather a broad circular adipose membrane, diameter § of length of head, 

 1^ diameters apart. 



Teeth — On either side of both jaws are upwards of eighteen lancet shaped teeth, many of 

 which however are often absent. The middle ones in the lower jaw are the largest. On the 

 anterior part of the vomer appears a pointed triangular spot with velvety teeth, and on each palatine 

 and pterygoid bone a rather broad continued line of similar teeth. Others exist at the root 

 of the small oval flattened tongue, and on the margin and internal surface of each hyoid. 



Fins — The spines of the dorsal fin are very slender, and the membrane is easily detached, so 

 as to leave the filamentous points of the anterior and the whole of the posterior five or six very 

 short spines unconnected. The anterior spine, scarcely equal to the diameter of the eye, is two- 

 thirds of the length of the second, which is shorter than the third. The fourth, the longest, is 

 one-fourth of the length of the head ; the rest gradually decrease ; the sixteenth is so short and 

 slender that it may easily escape observation. The anterior spurious fin is often connected by a 

 short membrane to the second dorsal and anal. Each caudal lobe equals the length of the head. 

 The length of the pectorals is two-seventeenths of the total length ; the ventrals one-third of the 

 pectorals. 



Scales — Are placed as in the last species. 



Lateral line — Consists of a series of short rectangular elevations, at first in upper fourth of 

 body, from whence it gradually deviates towards the termination of the second dorsal, and 

 again declines to below the middle of the body opposite the fifth finlet, where it ascends on to the 

 lateral keel. 



Colours — The same as in the last species, the C. Commersonii. After death several series of 

 irregularly disposed black spots appear above the lateral line, whilst beneath it there are three or 

 four rows of longitudinal short linear spots, each resembling an interrupted Une. 



Grows to two feet in length. 



Habitat — Seas of India and Malaysia. 



Cybium guttatum. 



Scomber guttatus, Bl. Schn. p. 23. t. 5. 



Wingeram, Russell, pi. 134. 



Cybium guttatum, Guv. & Val. viii. p. 173; Cantor, Catal. p. 3 ; Giinther, Catal. ii. 



p. 371. 

 Cybium Kuhlii, Cuv.& P^aZ. viii. p. 178, {young) 

 Arrakeeah, Mai. Seir Fish. 



B. vii. D. 16-18 | 19-21 | viii-x. P. 15-21. V. J. A. 20-22 | vii-ix. C. 26. 



Length of head ^, of pectoral fa, of caudal ^, of base of second dorsal (exclusive of finlets) 

 y^, of base of anal (exclusive of finlets) -^ of total length. Height of head J, of body £, of first 

 dorsal -fa, of second dorsal yq, of ventral ^, of anal t J q of total length. 



Eyes — Oval, each surrounded by a circular adipose membrane, horizontal diameter T 2 r , vertical 

 J of length of head, nearly 2 diameters from end of snout, \\ diameters apart. 



Body oblong, tapering off to both extremities, sides and head compressed. 



Mouth wide, gradually expanding posteriorly : upper jaw very slightly convex, from about 

 its centre it is produced anteriorly when it tapers to a point : lower jaw longest, rather convex 



