90 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



Lateral line — Moderately bent, becoming straight under posterior third of second dorsal. 

 The plates are very little developed. 



Colours — Upper surface of head and back bluish green, sides of the head and body golden 

 with purplish reflections, fading to white on the abdomen. Opercular spot moderately distinct in 

 immature, absent hi adult specimens. First dorsal blackish] second dorsal, caudal, and anal 

 yellowish, stained darker at their margins. Pectoral whitish at its base, the rest of a greyish black. 

 Iris silvery. In young specimens there are six vertical dark bands passing from the back to the 

 abdomen. 



Grows to six inches or upwards in length. 



Habitat — Eed Sea, Seas of India, and Malaysia, to the coast of New Guinea. 



3. One or more of the dorsal, ventral, or anal rays elongated, and the first dorsal slightly 



developed, or disappearing with age. 



Caeaxx ciliaris. 



Zeus ciliaris, Bloch, vi. p. 29, t. 191. 



Blepharis Indicus, Cuv. & Vol. ix. p. 154. 



Gurrah parrah, Russell, pi. 57 {young). 



Chewolah parrah, Russell, pi. 58 {young). 



Gallicthys major, Cuv. & Vol ix. p. 168, pi. 254 (young)] Cantor, Catal. p. 136. 



Gallicthys chevola, Cuv. & Vol. ix. p. 175. 



Caranx ciliaris, Giinther, Catal. ii. p. 454. 



B. vii. D. 6 | JL. P. 18. V. i. A. 2 | ^ C. 19. L. 1. 1 



o. 



Length of head f , of pectoral f , of caudal \, of base of first dorsal *fe, of base of second dorsal f , 

 of base of anal \ of total length. Height of head \, of body \ of total length. 



Eyes — Diameter \ of length of head, nearly 2 diameters from end of snout, rather more than 

 ^ a diameter apart. 



Body of an oval shape, strongly compressed, and rather elevated at the commencement of the 

 dorsal and anal fins. Profile to first dorsal convex : the lower profile not so convex as the upper. 

 The tail produced posteriori}-. 



Mouth in front, upper jaw protrusible and oblique ; the lower horizontal and compressed. 

 The maxilla extends posteriorly rather more than half the distance to the anterior margin of the 

 orbit. Preopercle vertical, narrow and high, the width at the angle one-fifth its height, inferior 

 margin very oblique. Opercle rather more than twice as high as broad, with a shallow emargina- 

 tion at the centre of the posterior margin. Preorbital large and smooth. Summit of the orbit 

 one diameter from the upper profile. Gill openings large. 



Teeth — Villiforni in both jaws ; fine teeth on vomer and palatine bones. 



Fins — Pectoral falciform, extending to nearly opposite the fifteenth dorsal ray. Ventral arises 

 slightly in front of pectoral : first dorsal opposite the first third of the pectoral, and the base of 

 anal opposite its second third. The first dorsal merely short spines, with one anteriorly directed 

 forwards. Spine of second dorsal very short; the first ray wide and strong, and the first four 

 very prolonged, the filaments reaching some distance beyond the end of the caudal fin : the 

 interior portions of the next five rays also prolonged into filaments, but decreasing in width. The 

 two first rays of the ventral small, prolonged, and extending in some specimens as far as those of 



