224 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



with the jaw. Five or six large card-like teeth on the palatine bones, and a small oval group of 

 smaller and velvety ones on the pterygoid. 



Fins— Pectoral arises in the lower fourth of the body : the ventral midway between the gape 

 of the mouth and the base of the caudal : the dorsal in the posterior third of the body : and the anal 

 slightly in advance of it. The first ray of the pectoral strong and bony. Ventral small. Dorsal 

 rather highest in front, and its upper margin concave. Anal of the same shape, the membrane 

 between the rays of each deeply notched. Along the whole extent of the lower margin of the 

 abdomen are short hair-like rays. 



Scales — Small and deciduous. 



Lateral line— Indistinctly marked, straight, situated in the upper third of the body. 



Colours— Upper surface of head and back bluish green, sides and abdomen shining silvery, a 

 line of yellow divides the colours of the back from the silvery sides. Cheeks golden. Fins trans- 

 parent, pectoral with some minute fine black points. Iris silvery, upper margin deep green. 



This fish is not uncommon in South Malabar, but much more abundant towards the north, 

 where there are rocks. It is highly esteemed by the Natives when eaten fresh or salted, its taste 

 varies with the season of the year in which it is captured. It grows to six feet in India, but speci- 

 mens at New Guinea up to twelve feet are recorded. 



Habitalr-From the Red Sea, through the Seas of India, Malaysia, the Moluccas, to New 

 Guinea and China, also the Eastern Coast of Africa and the Mauritius. 



Genus CHANOS, Lacep. 

 Lutodeiea, Biippell. 



Branchiostegals, four. Body moderately elongated, abdomen rounded. Eyes lateral, with adipose 

 lids. Cleft of mouth moderately deep. One dorsal with a row of scales along its base, ventral under 

 centre of dorsal. Anal with a scaly base, and placed beyond posterior margin of dorsal. Pectoral and 

 ventral enclosed by elongated scaly appendages. Caudal deeply cleft with two scaly semilunar lamina, 

 each fixed horizontally to the upper and lower of its short central rays. Teeth absent. Scales moderate 

 or small. Air vessel with a constriction. Pyloric appendages numerous. 



Chanos PALA. 



Cyprinus (leuciscus) pala, Cuvt'er, K£g. anim. ii. p. 276. 



Chanos nuchalis, Guv. & Vol. xix. p. 197. 



Palah bontah, Russell, pi. 207. 



Chanos pala, Cantor, Catal. p. 278. 



Butirinus Maderaspatensis, Jerdon, Madras Journ. xv. p. 344. 



B. iv. D. 14-15. P. 17. V. 11. A. 9-11 C. 19. L. r. 75-77. L. tr. |-|. 



Length of head r \, of pectoral nearly £, of caudal ^-, of base of dorsal ^, of base of anal ^ 3 

 of total length. Height of head \, of body f 6> of dorsal J, of ventral fa of anal T V of total length. 



Eyes — Upper margins close to the profile. A thick adipose membrane exists over them, each 

 having a central circular opening. Horizontal diameter \, vertical diameter \ of length of head, 

 A a horizontal diameter from end of snout, 1 horizontal diameter apart. 



