THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 159 



dorsal. Ventral thoracic, with one spine and five rays. Caudal forked. Scales large, and deciduous. The 

 lower pharyngeal bones arc firmly united by a suture. Teeth in jaws velvety. Air bladder simple. Pyloric 

 appendages in small numbers. Vertebra? ] ' ( '. 



Gerres FILAMENTOSUS. 

 Woodawahah, Russell, pi. 68. 



Gerres filamentosus, Cuv. & Val. vi. p. 482; Giinther, Catal. i. p. 345, iv. p. 261. 

 Catogtlenum filamentosum, Cantor, Catal. p. 56. 



B. vi. D. T * , P. 15. V. i A. f C. 17. L. 1. 42-45. L. tr. f-^. 



Length of head \, of pectoral f , of caudal § , of base of dorsal |, of base of anal T 2 f of total length. 

 Height of head §, of body §, of hard dorsal \, of soft dorsal \, of ventral } 3 , of anal } 3 of total 

 length. 



Eyes — Large and near the profile ; diameter \ length of head, \ of a diameter from end of 

 snout, and the same distance apart. 



Body compressed and elevated. 



Maxilla extends to beneath the first fourth of the orbit. Snout elevated. Preopercle entire, 

 its horizontal margin about half as long as its vertical ; angle rounded. Opercle with two blunt 

 points, separated by a crescentic margin. Subopercle narrow. Interopercles rather wide. 



Teeth — Velvety in the jaws ; none on vomer or palate. 



Fins— Dorsal commences slightly behind the pectoral, but opposite the origin of the ventral ; 

 and the anal opposite the fourth ray of the dorsal. Dorsal spines strong, and flattened laterally ; 

 the first short, the second prolonged, its size varying, that of the third equals the distance from 

 the snout to the posterior margin of the eye ; the membrane is slightly notched : the base of the 

 spinous portion equals that of the soft ; a scaly sheath extends along its base : the hard portion 

 concave above, and the soft short and straight. Pectoral pointed, and extends to above the first 

 anal ray. Ventral spine weak, first ray prolonged. First spine of anal weak, and slightly longer 

 than the third ; the rays gradually decrease in length : this fin has a sheath the same as the dorsal. 

 Caudal deeply lobed. 



Scales — Cover the body and opercles. 



Lateral line — In single tubes on each scale, and following the curve of the back. 



Colours — Summit of head and back pale greenish grey, the rest of the body silvery with 

 reddish reflections. Above and following the lateral line, there are two parallel series of large 

 oval blackish spots, and below the line one or two straight series of similar but smaller spots. 

 Dorsal, anal, and caudal fins pale yellow : the spines, rays, and membranes of the dorsal and caudal 

 minutely dotted with brown ; the superior margin of the dorsal black ; the posterior margin i if 

 the caudal pale blackish ; ventrals and pectorals white. Iris pale golden. 



Grows to eight inches in length. Is eaten by the Natives. 



Habitat — Seas of India and Malaysia. 



Geeres punctatus. 

 Woodan, Russell, pi. 68. 

 Gerres punctatus, Cuv. & Val. vi. p. 480 ; Giinther, Catal. i. p. 346, iv. p. 260. 



B. vi. D. T V P. 15. V. l A. f C. 17. L.l. 42. L. tr. §. 



Length of head \ } of pectoral J, of caudal \, of base of dorsal §, of base of anal \ of 



