232 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



Genus PRISTIGASTER, Owner. 



Branchiostegals, six. Body rather elongated and compressed. Abdomen strongly toothed, mouth of 

 moderate size, upper jaw shorter than the lower. Dorsal fin medial and very low : ventrals absent : anal 

 elongated. Teeth on jaws, palatine and pterygoid bones, also on the tongue, but none on the vomer. 

 Scales large or of moderate size. Air vessel either large and forked, with the horns prolonged on each 

 side of the vertebra? into the coccygeal muscles, or else simple and oval. Pyloric appendages numerous. 



Pristigaster tartoore. 

 Tartoore, Russell, pi. 193. 

 Pristigaster tartoore, Guv. & Vol. xx. p. 328. 



B. vi. D. 13-17. P. 13-15. A. 5T L<y. C. 21. L. 1. 50. Spines 28. 



Length of head above \, of pectoral \, of caudal \, of base of dorsal -fe, of base of anal \ 

 of total length. Height of head \, of body \ of the total length. 



Byes — With free orbital margins, diameter above \ of the length of head, § of a diameter 

 from end of snout, \ of a diameter apart. 



Body strongly compressed, its thickness being hardly equal to one fourth of its height. 

 Superior profile rising as far as occiput, from whence it forms a very long and low curve as far as 

 the caudal, whilst the extremity of the lower jaw forms a portion of the upper profile. Abdominal 

 profile nearly straight. 



Mouth directed slightly upwards and forwards, the lower jaw the longest, the symphysis being 

 extended beyond the portion forming the mouth, the upper jaw very short, the preorbital long and 

 extended over the posterior portion of the maxilla when the mouth is closed. The maxilla wide, 

 first directed downwards and slightly forwards, but opposite the angle of the mouth it expands 

 into a wide oval plate directed backwards and extending as far as the anterior third of the orbit. 

 Opercle triangular, ending in a soft point. A long triangular groove exists on the head, its apex 

 being in front and its base at the occipital process, it has a small spine in the centre of its posterior 

 margin, and one on either side. 



Teeth — A few fine distant teeth in the intermaxillaries and the central third of the lower jaw, 

 none in the upper jaw where it forms a portion of the mouth, but the external edge of its lower 

 limb is finely denticulated. A band of villiform teeth along the palatine bones, none on the vomer. 

 Villiform teeth also on the tongue and pterygoids. 



Fins — Pectoral commences under the posterior margin of the end of the opercle ; dorsal 

 nearer the tail than the snout : anal opposite the end of the pectoral : from the throat to the 

 commencement of the anal fin there are twenty-eight sharp spines along the lower line of the 

 profile, which increase in length and strength posteriorly. Dorsal small and low. Pectoral 

 pointed. Anal low. 



Scales — Smooth without stria?. 



Lateral line — In single tubes in each scale, dividing and sub-dividing posteriorly. It ascends 

 from the posterior margin of the opercle and is lost below the posterior end of the dorsal fin. A 

 second lateral line passing direct to the centre of the caudal is just apparent. 



Colours — Superiorly yellowish-white shot with silver, becoming silvery beneath. Fins yellowish, 

 caudal minutely dotted with black points, also some black dots on snout, upper surface of the 

 head and along the upper margins of the opercles, which are silvery. 



Not common in Malabar. Grows to nine inches in length and is good eating. 

 Habitat — Seas of India. 



