THE PISHES OF MALABAR. 73 



B. vii. D. 8-6 1^.^. P. 18. V. I A-t^Vt. C. 17. Csec. pylor. 12-15. Vert. ';;. 



Length of head %, of pectoral ft, of ventral ft, of caudal £ of the total length. Height of 

 head £, of body |, of second dorsal ^ of total length. 



Eyes— Each surrounded by a circular adipose membrane, diameter \ of the length of head, 

 and 1 diameter from end of snout. 



The curve of the profile of the back is nearly equal to that of the abdomen. 



Mouth moderately cleft, the lower jaw rather advanced beyond the upper : the posterior 

 extremity of maxilla extends to beneath the anterior margin of the orbit. Angle of preopercle 

 rounded, its border extremely finely crenulated : opercle striated in shallow grooves. The orifices 

 of the nostrils approximate, are close to the upper profile, and rather nearer to the end of the 

 mouth than they are to the eye. 



Teeth — Villiform in both jaws, vomer, and palatine bones. 



Fins— Pectoral oval and situated slightly below the middle line of the body ; ventrals close 

 together, and arise opposite the anterior third of the pectoral : first dorsal begins opposite end 

 of pectoral ; second dorsal, in middle of the body : anal, below centre of second dorsal. The first 

 dorsal consists of very small spines. The spine of the second dorsal is one-third the length of the 

 anterior rays which are the longest, and they gradually diminish to about the twelfth, the last two 

 or three are slightly prolonged. Ventral pointed, its spine two-thirds the length of the first ray. 

 Two small free spines before the anal. 



Scales— Small on the top of the head, the cheeks, and over the body, except on a small spot 

 above the base of the pectoral fin, which is destitute of scales. 



Lateral line — Consists of a straight series of very small elevations : above the pectoral it 

 forms a curve which descends to the centre of the body which it reaches below the anterior third 

 of the second dorsal, from whence it is continued straight to the centre of the caudal, where it 

 forms an horizontal elevated keel close to its base. 



Colours— Bluish silvery grey, darkest towards the back ; large vertical blue or violet bands 

 pass down the body ; the number is generally five on the body, one on the head, and one on 

 the caudal fin. The first on the body is behind the opercle, the second passes down from the first 

 dorsal, the third from the anterior third of the second dorsal to before the anal, and the two last 

 from the second dorsal to the anal. Caudal dark blue tipped with black and margined with 

 pure white. Pectoral white with violet tip, ventral nearly black, with white points. Iris 

 golden. 



Grows to one foot in length, and is good eating. 



Habitat — Seas of India, and nearly all those of temperate and tropical regions. 



Genus ELACATE, Cuvier. 



Branchiostegals, seven: pseudc-branchiae. Body elongated, fusiform ; head depressed. Eyes lateral. 

 Cleft of mouth moderately deep. Infraorbital bones do not articulate with the preopercle. Two 

 dorsals, the first formed of eight small and free spines, the soft dorsal of greater extent than the spinous. 

 Ventrals thoracic ; no spurious fins, or keel on tail. ViUiform teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatine bones. 

 No air bladder. Cajcal appendages in enormous numbers, and subdividing into minute branches. 



L 



