THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 207 



EOHITA DUSSUMIEEI. 



Eohita Dussumieri, Guv. & Vol. xvi. p. 258, pi. 475. 

 Cirrhinus Dussumieri, Jerdon, Madras Journal, xv. p. 304. 



Toolee, Mai. 



B.iii. D. ^3^. P. 17. V. 9. A.f. C. 19. L. 1. 55. L. tr. f . 



Length of head nearly }, of pectoral J, of caudal £, of base of dorsal nearly ], of base of anal 2 ' 

 of the total length. Height of head J, of body above J, of dorsal \, of ventral \, of anal ~'„ 

 of total length. 



Eyes— Diameter \ of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, 2 diameters apart. 



Body elongated, profile slightly rising from the snout to the dorsal fin, from whenco it is nearly 

 straight to the base of the caudal. The abdominal profilo rather more convex than that of the 

 back. Thickness of the body equals two-thirds of its height. 



Mouth small, inferior, surrounded by fleshy lips, which as well as the mouth are covered with 

 numerous pores, which extend posteriorly as far as orbits and under the nostrils. One pair of 

 small fleshy cirri on either side of upper jaw. Some scattered mucous pores along the lower 

 jaw, and on the horizontal limb of the preopercle. The lips fringed. Preorbital advanced to over 

 the angle of the mouth. Suborbital ring narrow. Preopercle narrow, its angle rounded, and its 

 horizontal limb nearly as long as its vertical one. Opercle large, its posterior margin rounded and 

 ending in a soft flap ; its inferior rather oblique, its superior horizontal. Sub- and interopercles 

 narrow. Interorbital space smooth, and rather convex. 



Fins — The pectoral fin arises in the lower third of the body, under the posterior border of the 

 opercle : ventral slightly nearer to the base of the pectoral than to that of the anal, and opposite 

 the third branched ray of the dorsal : anal arises below the thirty-first or thirty-second scale. 

 Dorsal fin rather in advance of the ventral, long, highest in front, with a concave superior margin, 

 and the last ray rather produced : first unbranched ray minute, the second fine, only half the leno-th 

 of the third, which has a soft extremity. The last dorsal and anal rays divided into two at their bases. 

 Anal with the first hard ray minute, second thin, and the third with soft articulated extremity : ante- 

 rior extremity of the fin twice the height of the posterior one : its margin straight. Caudal deeply 

 forked, lobes rather expanded. Ventral fan-shaped. Anus a short distance in front of the anal fin. 



Scales — Their longest diameter from above downwards, those on the abdomen smaller than 

 those on the sides. 



Lateral fine— First curves slightly downwards ; from about opposite the posterior end of the 

 pectoral it generally passes straight to the centre of the caudal, but in some specimens is slightly 

 undulating in this portion of its course. 



Colours — Greyish, darkest above, becoming silvery beneath. Back olive grey. All the scales 

 edged with a darker shade of grey, and many of them, especially those above the lateral line, have 

 a golden spot in the centre of each. Fins dusky. There is a dull diffused dark spot on the lateral 

 line, on the side of the tail, and in some specimens another on the tail. 



Common in the Kurriavanoor river near Cochin. When attempts are made to capture these 

 fish with nets, they take surprising leaps, sometimes even springing over the heads of the boatmen 

 who are standing up at the time. Immediately on being captured, their necks are broken with a 

 stick. They grow to about thirteen inches in length, are fair eating, and are greatly esteemed by 

 the Natives. 



Habitat — Rivers of Malabar. 



