168 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



Colours — Silvery, greenish blue on the back, and whitish grey on the abdomen. The silver 

 band is quite straight, widest opposite the commencement of the dorsal fin. Dorsal and caudal 

 margined with blackish, and some minute black dots exist between the caudal rays. 



Exceedingly common after the S. W. monsoon, and through the cold weather. Much 

 esteemed for eating by the Natives, and the roes highly prized by Europeans for curries. Grows 

 to eight inches in length. 



Habitat — Malabar, Ceylon, and the tanks around Calcutta. 



Hemiramphus xanthopterus. 



Hemiramphus xanthopterus, Cuv. & Val. xix. p. 47. 

 ? Hemiramphus tridentifer, Cantor, Catal. p. 249. 



B. xii. D. 15. P. 13. V. 6. A. 16. C. 15. L. 1. 56. L. tr. 9. 



Length of head to the end of intermaxillaries J, of beak from opening ^, of caudal ^, of 

 pectoral yp of dorsal ^, of anal t J q of total length. Height of head y 1 ^, of body ^ of total length. 



Eyes — Oval. Upper margins form part of the profile. Horizontal diameter j% and vertical 

 diameter y of length of head. Not quite 1 horizontal diameter apart, 1£ horizontal diameters from 

 the end of intermaxillaries. 



Body elongated, subcylindrical ; head compressed and depressed. 



Mouth formed by the intermaxillaries and a portion of the ruandibulse, its extended pro- 

 longation or beak being beyond the mouth : the exposed portion of the intermaxillaries form a 

 triangle, with the base behind, and having a slight longitudinal keel along its centre, with rather 

 raised edges : it opens something like the lid of a box. The posterior extremity of the maxilla 

 does not extend to beneath the anterior margin of the orbit. The mandibular portion of the 

 mouth is rather wide. The length of the mandibles from the end of the snout nearly equals the 

 distance from the posterior margin of the orbit to the end of the mouth, consequently the extremity 

 of the mouth is slightly nearer the posterior margin of the orbit than the end of the snout. In 

 front of the centre of the lower jaw the suture forms a ridge which proceeds a very short distance 

 and ends in rather a broad groove, which is continued along the whole of the upper surface of the 

 mandibles to about their extremity : the tip is fleshy. The interorbital space nearly flat. Pre- 

 opercle narrow and rectangular. Opercle large, the upper third of the posterior margin ending 

 in a rounded point. Posterior margins of orbits rather raised. Nostrils opposite the anterior 

 superior angle of the orbit in a depressed oval space, having raised edges. Intermaxillaries form 

 a very pointed angle at their junction. 



Teeth — In a very wide band in both jaws, especially in the lower one and in the mesial 

 line, owing to the commencement of a ridge : the bands of the two sides are only connected 

 half the width of the band posteriorly. The internal teeth a little longer than the others. 



Fins. — Dorsal commences a little behind the posterior third of the body : anal opposite dorsal ; 

 both fins of the same shape, highest in front, with their margins rather concave. Caudal not 

 deeply cleft, the lower lobe much the largest and longest. 



Scales — On body, summit of head, and the base of the intermaxillaries. 



Lateral line — Descends until close to the ventral fin, and then passing parallel to the abdomen, 

 it gradually ascends opposite the anterior end of the anal, and from thence passes to the base of 

 the fifth ray of the lower lobe, over which it crosses, and ascending over the next, is lost. 



Colours — Silvery greenish-blue on the back, whitish on the abdomen. A silver band passes 



