THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 79 



StROMATEUS NIGER. 



Steomateus niger, Block, xii. p. 93. t. 422; Cuv. & Vol. xi. p. 385; Cantor, Catal. p. 



139 ; Gunther, Catal. ii. p. 401. 

 Nala sandawaii, Russell, pi. 43. 

 Apolectus stromateus, Cuv. & Vol. viii. p. 439, pi. 328, (young) ; Cantor, Catal. 



p. 123. 

 Kar arwoolee, Mai. Black Pomfret. 



B.vii. D.^„. P. 22. A. 3^. C.19. 



Length of head § , of pectoral nearly \, of caudal \, of base of dorsal \, of base of anal f of 

 total length. Height of head §, of body \, of dorsal -f±, of anal j\ of total length. 



Eyes — Diameter \ of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, nearly 2 diameters 

 apart. 



The profiles of the back and of the abdomen are about equally curved : the body from the 

 posterior extremities of the dorsal and anal fins to the base of caudal is cylindrical. 



Mouth situated opposite about the centre of the body, the lower jaw the longest: the 

 maxilla extends to beneath the anterior margin of the orbit. Preopercle entire. Opercle ending 

 in a dull obtuse poiut. Nostrils anterior and superior to orbit. 



Teeth — In a fine single series in both jaws. 



Fins — The dorsal commences a little behind the pectoral, and opposite the anal. The dorsal 

 and anal are much elevated anteriorly, very low posteriorly, with concave external margins. 

 Pectorals long and falciform. Ventrals only apparent in the young, in a specimen 3 t 3 q inches in 

 length, the ventrals are jugular and one eighth of the total length. The spines before the dorsal 

 and anal fins, which are concealed in the adidt fish, are apparent in the immature. 



Scales — Small, extending over body, head, opercles, and vertical fins, but not over snout, or 

 on the lower jaw. 



Lateral line — At first in upper third of body from whence it gently curves downwards, and in 

 its last fourth passes straight to the centre of the caudal, in. the form of a raised keeled line with 

 lateral shields as is perceived in the Carangidce. 



Colours — Deep brown or greyish brown with blue reflections. Cheeks, opercles and abdomen 

 pale neutral tint or brownish neutral. Dorsal and anal greyish brown, stained black towards the 

 margins. Pectoral and caudal brownish, edged with black. Iris brownish blue. The young is 

 grey, the dorsal and anal fins black and the caudal yellow, with three brown cross bands, the most 

 posterior of which is at its base. 



Grows to two feet in length, is excellent eating. In the Straits it is dried and largely 

 exported to India and elsewhere. It appears in Malabar about the same time as the S. sinensis, 

 it comes in shoals and disappears as suddenly as it arrives. 



Habitat — Seas of India, Malaysia, and China. 



