THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 171 



Order ANACANTHINI. 



Fam. GADID^E, Owen. 

 Gadoidei, pt. Cuvier. 



Genus BREGMACEROS, Thompson. 



Calloptilum, Richardson. 



Branchiostegals, seven : pseudobranchise none. Body fusiform posteriorly compressed. Mouth 

 anterior and oblique. Eyes lateral. Two dorsal fins, the first consisting of an elongated ray arising from 

 the occiput, the second and the anal having each a central depressed portion almost forming a distinct 

 fin. Yentrals jugular, and long, consisting of -five or six rays. Teeth in jaws moveable, also teeth on vomer, 

 none on palate. Scales cycloid. Lateral line continuous. Grill openings very wide, the gill membranes 

 united beneath the throat but not attached to the isthmus. No air bladder or pyloric appendages. 



Bregmaceros Macclellandi. 



BregmacerosMacclellandi, Thompson, Chariest. Mag. Nat. History, 1840, iv. p. 184; 

 Gunther, Catal. iv. p. 368. 



B. vii. D. 1 | 16 + X+15. P. 25. V. 5-6. A. 22+X+15. C. 15. L. 1. 64. L. tr. f . 

 Length of head \, of pectoral \, of caudal y T of the total length. Height of head \, of body -|, 

 of first dorsal ^ T , of anal j 2 T of the total length. 



Eyes — Oval : horizontal diameter -§, vertical diameter \ of the length of the head, J a hori- 

 zontal diameter from end of snout, and 1 diameter apart. 



Body fusiform, posteriorly compressed. There is a slight rise in the profile from the snout to 

 the first dorsal fin, from whence it gradually sinks to the caudal. The abdominal profile is nearly 

 straight. 



Mouth anterior, rather oblique, upper jaw slightly the longest, extending posteriorly to behind 

 the centre of the orbit. Mandibula rather concave. Opercle rounded. 



Teeth — Villiform and moveable in jaws, a few on the vomer, but none on the palatine bones. 



Fins — The first dorsal arises from the occiput in the form of a slender ray, which is rather 

 longer than the head. The second dorsal commences in the middle third of the total length, its 

 fourth ray the longest and the fin being highest in front, each ray is unbranched but arti- 

 culated, and very slender, the membrane is deeply notched : the succeeding ten rays are very 

 short and slender appearing almost like a distinct fin : whilst the last fifteen are lengthened and 

 extend nearly to the base of the caudal : the fin can be laid flat in a groove which exists on the 

 back. The pectoral is situated in the upper third of the body, and just posterior to the opercle, 

 its rays are articulated but unbranched. The anal is of much the same shape as the second dorsal. 

 The ventral which arises under the throat, consists of six rays, the outer three of which are elon- 

 gated so as to reach as far as about the twenty-first anal ray. 



Scales — Cycloid, small. 



Lateral line — Continuous. 



Colours — Silvery, the back shaded with green. Occiput and upper half of pectoral black ; the 

 first half of the dorsal spotted with black. 



Grows to about three inches in length, and is rare in Malabar. 



Habitat — The mouths of rivers and Coasts of Malabar, Bengal, China, and the Philippine Islands. 



z 2 



RV 



