THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 1 1 7 



B.v. D.^ OT . P. 15. V.£. A., ;( '.,,. C.13. 



Length of head ^, of pectoral ^ s , of caudal -,*,, of base of hard dorsal T ' 5 , of base of soft 

 dorsal above J, of base of anal nearly | of total length. Height of head T \, , of body I, of hard 

 dorsal gL, of soft dorsal g \„ of ventral j^, of anal ^ of total length. 



Eyes — Minute. 



Body eel-shaped, with the sides and cheeks rather compressed. 



Mouth directed upwards, very wide, one fourth more so than deep. Lower jaw the longest, 

 with a tubercle at symphysis. Preopercle as wide as high, angle oblique : opercle rounded pos- 

 teriorly. The centre third of the summit of the head triangular, the apex of the triangle winch 

 is posterior, being rounded : a longitudinal ridge down its mesial line, whilst its sides are elevated, 

 and occipital crest sharp. Lower jaw without barbels. 



Teeth — Vary in different specimens. In the upper jaw there is a single posterior row of 

 villiform ones, with some curved conical ones externally, one or two near the symphysis being 

 more especially large ; posteriorly they decrease in size, and there are about eight on each side. 

 Lower jaw with two rows of villiform teeth internally, and four or more curved conical ones exter- 

 nally, the two posterior of which are usually the largest ; the whole of this external row is outside 

 the upper jaw when the mouth is closed. 



Fins — Pectoral and ventral on a line : hard dorsal commences over the middle of the pectoral, 

 and soft dorsal in the second third of the body, between the snout and base of caudal. Anal begins 

 under the third dorsal ray. The sixth dorsal spine is some distance in front of the fifth : its soft 

 portion and the anal are joined to the caudal, but the distinctions between them are apparent. 

 Caudal pointed. 



Scales — In crypts anteriorly, and not very distinct, but posteriorly some are more apparent 

 than others. They extend over the body, but there are none on the bases of the fins. 



Lateral line — Depressed, and where the superior and inferior muscular insertions join it, there 

 are small orifices like pin holes. 



Colours — Of a bright rosy pink, with the lateral line and all the muscular insertions whitish. 

 The divisions between the opercles, interopercles, and subopercles, are all marked by dotted lines ; 

 there is also a line of glands along the side of the lower jaw. Fins yellowish ; caudal at times with 

 a few red markings, and its base stained with a darkish tint. After the fish has been sodden in 

 water a short time, the colours change to a general bluish grey. 



Grows to seven inches in length. 



Habitat — Estuaries of India and China. 



Amblyopus c^eculus. 



? Cepola c^ecula, Bl. Schn. p. 241, t. 54. 



Amblyopus CjEculus, Guv. & Vol. xii. p. 165 ; Gunther, Catal. iii. p. 133. 



Amblyopus Hermannianus, Cantor, Catal. p. 190. 



B. v. D. jo. 6 ^. P. 15. V. i. A. 38-45. C. 13. 



Length of head \ to \, of pectoral £$, of caudal ^ of total length. Height of body ,' s of 

 total length. 



Eyes — Minute. 



Body elongated and scaleless. Head as wide as the body. 



