THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 99 



This fish is uncommon, and usually captured by cast nets in the surf where the fishermen 

 assert it always swims ; it is very rarely taken in the deep sea, and never in the rivers. It grows 

 to one foot seven inches in length. 



Habitat— Eed Sea, Seas of India, Malaysia, and Madagascar. 



Genus PSETTUS, Guv. and Vol. 

 Monodactylus, Lacep. 



Branchiostegals, six : pseudobranchije. Body much compressed and elevated. Eyes lateral. Cleft 

 of mouth moderate, snout short. Infraorbital bones do not articulate with the preopercle. One dorsal 

 with seven or eight spines: anal with three: ventrals rudimentary. Teeth velvety on jaws, vomer, and 

 palate. Scales small, covering the vertical fins. Lateral line continuous, simple. Air bladder present, 

 bifurcated posteriorly. Pyloric appendages numerous. 



PSETTUS AEGENTEUS. 



Ch^etodon aegenteus, Lin. Amcen. Acad. iv. p. 249. 

 Kauki Sandawa, Russell, pi. 59. 

 Psettus rhombeus, Cuv. & Vol. vii. p. 245. 

 Monodactylus rhombeus, Cantor, Catal. p. 172. 

 Psettus argenteus, Gunther, Catal. ii. p. 487. 



B.vi. D.„W P- 16. V-3-V A -28 3 3o- 0.17. 1, 1.75. Vert. £. 



Length of head \, of pectoral \, of base of dorsal \, of base of anal \, of caudal \ of total 

 length. °Height of head f , of body \, of dorsal \, of anal J, of base of caudal £ of total length. 

 Eyes— Diameter rather more than \ length of head, i diameter from end of snout, f of a 



diameter apart. 



Body elevated and compressed; the distance from the posterior margin of the orbit to the 

 base of the caudal fin, equals the distance from the base of the dorsal to the base of the anal. 



Lower jaw slightly the longest, and when the mouth is open forms the base of a semicircle, 

 the remainder being completed by the upper jaw, which is rather protrusible. Preorbital long and 

 narrow with a raised festooned line rather nearer its anterior than its posterior edge. Preopercle 

 high • vertical border nearly straight and entire ; the angle shghtly produced and finely serrated; 

 the lower margin nearly horizontal and two thirds the length of the vertical one. Opercle 

 ending in two blunt spines separated by a semi-circular margin, and sometimes a third minute 



spine is perceived below. 



Teeth— Villiform in several rows in both jaws ; some small ones on the vomer, and a lancet- 

 shaped line broadest in front on the palate : teeth also along the centre of the tongue. 



Fins— The pectoral commences shghtly anterior to the commencement of the dorsal and 

 ventrals, which last are placed close together, and appear like two strong spines, the rays being, 

 indistinc't • the dorsal and anal terminate opposite one another ; the extremity of the dorsal rays 

 usually extends as far as the commencement of the caudal fin. The dorsal spines are nearly con- 

 cealed the three first being most apparent; the soft portion is elevated in front, then becomes 



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