114 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



Fins — Pectoral and ventral arise on a line ; the first dorsal opposite the middle third of the 

 pectoral, and the second dorsal opposite its posterior extremity. The anal arises under the second 

 dorsal. All the spines and rays of the fins are weak. Caudal wedge-shaped. 



Scales — Rather larger in the posterior than in the anterior part of the body. 



Colours — Greyish, lighter towards the abdomen, with oblique bands passing downwards and 

 forwards from the bases of the dorsal fins half way to the abdomen. Pectoral, ventral, and anal 

 whitish ; the first and second dorsals grey, stained with brown, caudal and posterior third of dorsal 

 dark grey spotted with brown. The inside of the mouth spotted with black points. 



Grows to seven inches in length, and is not uncommon in Malabar. 



Habitat— Seas and estuaries of India. 



Genus ELEOTRIS, Gronov. 



Philypnus, Cuvier. 



Bostrichthys, (Dumeril) Gill. 



Culius, butis, Valenciennea, belobeanchus, et eleoteiodes, Bleeker. 



Lembus, GUnther. 



Branchiostegals, from four to six : pseudobranchise. Body subcylindrical. Eyes moderate, lateral. 

 Infraorbital bones do not articulate with the preopercle. Two dorsal fins, the anterior with from five to eight 

 spines : the posterior soft, the most developed, and of the same character as the anal. Ventrals with their 

 bases approximating but not united. Teeth variously disposed, or even absent on vomer and palate : villi- 

 form in the jaws. Gill opening of moderate width. Scales over body and head. Air bladder large. 



Eleotris butis. 

 Cheilodipterus butis, Ham. Buck. pp. 57, 367; Gray, 111. I. Z. ii. pi. 93, f. 3. 

 Eleotris humeralis, Guv. & Vol. xii. p. 246. 

 Eleotris butis, Cantor, Catal. p. 196 ; GUnther, Catal. iii. p. 116. 

 Kullahray, Mai. 



B. vi. D. 6 |f P. 17. V. i. A. i C. 15. L. 1. 28. L. tr. 12. Vert. jf. 



Length of head \, of pectoral \, of caudal J, of base of first dorsal y^, of base of second 

 dorsal }, of base of anal T 2 f of total length. Height of head J, of body \, of first dorsal j%, of 

 second dorsal T 2 T , of anal T 2 f , of ventral g of total length. 



Byes — Diameter \ of length of head, 2| diameters from end of snout, 2 diameters apart. 



There is a considerable rise from the snout to the first dorsal, the profile of the back being 

 arched, whilst that of the abdomen is straight. The greatest width of the body is opposite the 

 base of the pectoral fin. 



Gape of mouth wide, upper jaw protrusible, snout broad and depressed, the posterior ex- 

 tremity of the maxilla extends to opposite the anterior margin of the orbit : interorbital space 

 rather convex. Preopercle with its horizontal border nearly one and a half times as long as its 

 vertical, angle rounded and destitute of spines : nine series of scales exist between it and the orbit. 



