120 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



Colours — Of a dirty olive brown, with irregular vertical brown and black bands or marblings. 

 Fins yellowish brown, with cloudy black markings. Eyes reddish. 



Grows to six inches in length. Is common in the backwaters within the influence of the tides. 

 It emits a croaking noise when captured, and can live some time out of water. Is not eaten. Fishes 

 of this genus, Cantor observes, are considered so poisonous in Pinang that they are rejected even 

 as manure. 



Habitat — Seas and estuaries of India and Malaysia. 



Batrachus trispinosus. 



Batrachus grunniens, Guv. & Vol. vii. p. 466 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 205. 

 Batrachus trispinosus, Giinther, Catal. iii. p. 169. 



B. vi. D. 3 | 20-22. P. 25. V. J. A. 14-16. C. 12. Opercular spines iii. 



Length of head f, of pectoral \, of caudal \, of base of first dorsal -fa, of base of second 

 dorsal f, of base of anal \ of total length. Height of head y\, of body ], of first dorsal ^, of 

 second dorsal \, of anal *fc, of ventral fc of total length. 



Eyes — On upper and outer surface of the head, diameter 6-| times in length of head, 1J dia- 

 meters apart, \ a diameter from the end of the snout. 



General appearance the same as in the Batrachus grunniens, but the lower jaw is more rounded, 

 the maxilla passing beyond the posterior margin of the orbit ; the remainder of the head, however, 

 is very similar in both. 



Teeth — In the lower jaw a single series of strong conical teeth, which becomes double on the 

 symphysis. A double row of strong conical teeth on the vomer and palatine bones, extending 

 posteriorly beyond the intermaxillaries. Intermaxillary teeth minute, in a double series, extending 

 from the symphysis to opposite the eyes. 



Colours — Summit of head, back and sides light greenish, or brownish olive. Abdomen 

 greenish or brownish white ; head marbled and spotted with black ; body with more or less dis- 

 tinct oblique and vertical broad bands edged and spotted with black, and darker than the ground 

 colour : fleshy filaments buff, fins of the ground colour of the body ; dorsals and anal indistinctly 

 clouded with black, or with very oblique blackish bands ; caudal, pectoral, and ventral with 

 blackish spots or narrow vertical bands. Iris silvery olive ; orbital part blackish. 



Air bladder separated into two lateral divisions, united by a narrow transverse channel. 



Grows to ten inches in length, and is said to be eaten in Bombay. 



Habitat — Seas and estuaries of India and Malaysia. 



* Batrachus Dussumieri. 

 Batrachus Dussumieri, Cuv. & Val. xii. p. 474, pi. 367 ; Guntker, Catal. iii. p. 169. 



B. vi. D. 3 | 20. A. 16. V. A Opercular spines iii. 



Said to differ from the last chiefly in having straight bands of villiform teeth in the palate 

 and lower jaw instead of strong and conical ones, and a very short tentacle above the orbit instead 

 of a large one. 



Colours — Above deep brown, side and abdomen grey olive brown ; three large dark brown 

 bands pass downwards, ending in an irregular manner on the sides. In the fresh state the tints 



