184 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



Sub-Group BAGRI, Bleeker. 

 Genus HARA, Blyik. 



Branchiostegals, ten. Head broad, depressed. Opercular bones articulated and moveable. A sepa- 

 rate bone between basal bone of dorsal fin and end of occipital process : in adults an interspace between 

 tlie end of occipital process and anterior extremity of intermediate bone, which is not apparent in the 

 young : these bones and summit of head granulated or rough. Eyes without free orbital margins, below the 

 skin. Mouth wide, anterior. Cirri eight : one pair arises at posterior nasal orifice which is some distance 

 apart from the anterior which is tubular : one maxillary pair, widest at their basal halves, and two pairs 

 of mandibular ones. Teeth villiform in intermaxillaries and lower jaw, and an uninterrupted band across 

 vomer and palate. First dorsal with one sharp spine — sometimes denticulated — and seven rays, it is inserted 

 before the ventral which has six rays. Adipose dorsal longer than the anal, which last is short. Pectoral 

 spine strongly denticulated. Caudal emarginate or forked. Interbranchial membrane deeply cleft. Air 

 bladder present. 



Hara Malabarica. Plate XIII. Fip-. 3. 



B. x. D. } | 0. P. l V. 6. A. 10. C. 18. 



Length of head T 2 T , of pectoral ^, of caudal \, of base of first dorsal \, of base of second 

 dorsal from ^ to f, of base of anal -f 2 T of total length. Height of head \, of body A, of first 

 dorsal -fa, of ventral ^, of anal ^ of total length. 



Eyes — Close to profile below the skin, diameter § of length of head, 1^ diameters from end of 

 snout, 1| diameters apart. 



Form of body compressed, head broad and strongly depressed, its width being equal to 

 the height of the body. There is a slight rise from the snout to opposite the orbits, from whence 

 the upper profile is nearly straight : the abdominal profile is more convex than that of the back. 



Mouth anterior, gape nearly four times as wide as its cleft which does not extend so far as to 

 beneath the orbits. The upper surface of the head is granulated and rather convex transversely, 

 with a longitudinal central groove, extending from opposite the posterior extremity of the opercle 

 to the snout, it is widest between the orbits. The occipital process in the adult is above twice as 

 long as wide, and an interval equal to its length exists between it and the interneural bone which 

 reaches the ■ base of the basal one, in the immature they touch one another. The maxillary 

 cirri are long, rather thick at their bases and extend as far as the centre of the ventral fins : the 

 nasal pair reach as far as the end of the opercle : the external mandibular pair go as far as the end 

 of the opercle : the internal pair not quite so far. Gill membranes deeply cleft, one slightly over- 

 lapping the other : gills four. Anus under posterior third of ventral fins. 



Teeth — A wide band of villiform teeth in intermaxillaries, also a semilunar uninterrupted one 

 about one quarter as wide as long passes across the vomer and palate. 



Fins— Pectoral arises under the last quarter of the opercle : the first dorsal over the posterior 

 third of the pectoral spine : the ventral opposite the posterior extremity of the first dorsal, and the 

 anal commences twice the length of the base of the ventral fin behind its posterior margin. First 

 dorsal spine weak, and not quite half the length of the rays which are branched : the length of the 

 spine equals the distance between the posterior margin of the orbit and the posterior extremity of 

 the opercle. First ventral ray undivided, the rest branched, the fin situated horizontally. Pectoral 

 spine strong, laterally compressed, its length equals the distance from the anterior extremity of 

 the orbit to the posterior extremity of the opercle : it is armed internally with eight sharp curved 



