THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 1-1 



are said to be of a dark green marbled with dirty yellow. Fins greyish olive, blackish towards 

 their borders. 



Air bladder the same as in the last species. 



Grows to ten inches in length. 



Habitat — Malabar. 



Fam. PEDICULATI, Cuvier. 

 Genus ANTENNARIUS, Commerson. 

 Chironectes, pt., Cuvier. 



Branchiostegals, six : pseudobranchiaj none. Head and anterior portion of body large, high, and 

 compressed. Eyes lateral. Mouth vertical or subvertical. Two dorsals, the first with three spines, 

 the anterior of which is modified into a tentacle situated above the snout. The soft dorsal of moderate 

 length, and more developed than the anal. Yentrals jugular, with four or five soft rays. Pectoral arising 

 from a species of arm formed by the prolongation of the carpal bones. Teeth in cardiform or villiform 

 bands on jaws, vomer, and palatine bones. Skin naked, or covered with minute spines. Gill opening 

 reduced to a small foramen situated in or near the axil. Air bladder present. Stomach wide. Pyloric 

 appendages none. 



* ANTENNARIUS MARMORATUS. 



Chironectes marmoratus, Cuv. & Vol. xii. p. 402 ; G'uniher, Catal. iii. p. 185. 

 Chironectes nesogallicus, Cuv. & Vol. xii. p. 401. 

 Antennarius raninus, Cantor, Catal. p. 292. 



D. 3 | 12. P. 10. A. 7. Vert. f. 



The variations in this species due to age or locality are so considerable that two specimens are 

 very rarely found possessing complete similarity. The skin may be smooth, minutely or distinctly 

 granulated : whilst the length of the third dorsal spine varies from one-half to less than one-third of 

 the height of the body. 



The anterior dorsal spine is short, slender, and terminates in a small knob with a minute 

 tentacle attached to it, which is sometimes very short, or it may be entirely absent : the second and 

 third spines are fringed on their summits. The last dorsal ray, if laid backwards, extends to or 

 slightly beyond the root of the caudal. 



Head and body with cutaneous tentacles, those at the angle of the mouth and on the abdomen 

 being the largest. 



Colours — Vary, generally reddish yellow marbled with brown : and brown spots mostly edged 

 with white radiate from the eye. Bound white spots on sides, and abdomen. In some the fins 

 are banded. Iris golden, with radiating brown lines. 



Habitat — Seas between the Tropics. 



* Antennarius nummifer. 



Chironectes nummifer, Cuv. & Vol. xii. p. 425 ; G'uniher, Catal. iii. p. 195. 

 D. 3 I 12. P. 9-10. V. 5-6. A. 7. 



