THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 243 



superior margin of the orbit obliquely backwards towards tho central line. Preorbital long, wide, 

 very apparent, from there being some dark lines on it. Nostrils round and near the snout. 



Teeth — A minute row in the anterior portion of tho lower jaw. 



Fins— Pectoral arises close under the posterior third of the subopercle : dorsal opposite its 

 extremity, midway between the snout and the base of the caudal ; ventral opposite the fifth dorsal 

 ray : anal midway between tho base of the ventral and that of the caudal. Pectoral pointed. 

 Ventral with an elongated scale at its base, the first ray very broad and undivided. Dorsal, first 

 three rays undivided, a broad row of scales runs along the base of tho fin, completely covering the 

 last six rays, the fin is highest in front, and slopes posteriorly, its summit being concave. Anal 

 almost hidden by a row of scales. Caudal deeply lobed and scaled over its base. 



Scales— Ctenoid, large and adherent. There are twenty-eight spines along the abdominal 



profile. 



Lateral line— Not apparent. 



Colours Back bluish or greenish-silvery, with three or four darker longitudinal lines along 



the centre of the upper rows of scales. Sides silvery, glossed with gold. Snout and upper end of 

 the mandibular black. Some fine black dots on the upper portion of the opercle which are more 

 numerous on the shoulder, where they form a black mark. Pectoral, ventral, and anal yellowish, a 

 few black dots along the first ray of the pectoral. Dorsal yellowish, with the anterior portion of 

 the base of the first three rays black, and the upper part of the fin minutely dotted with black. 

 Caudal darkest at its extremity, and shot with blue. 



Grows to eight inches in length, and is esteemed for eating by the Natives, but not by Euro- 

 peans as it is bony and dry. 



Habitat— Seas and estuaries of India, Malaysia, and the Moluccas. 



Chatoessus altus. 

 Chatoessus altus, Gray, 111. Ind. Zool. pi. 91, £ 2. 

 ? Kome, Russell, pi. 196. 

 Pedda Kome, Russell, pi. 197. 

 Noonah, Mai. 



B. vi. D. 18-19. P. 15. V. 9. A. 23-25. C. 19. L. 1. 48. L. tr. 18. 



Length of head \, of pectoral r 2 T , of caudal y 2 T , of base of dorsal f 5 , of base of anal ^ of total 

 length. Height of head T 2 T , of body \, of dorsal filament \, of anal -fa, of ventral \ of total length. 



Eyes With broad adipose membranes, having vertical elliptical openings. Diameter \ of 



length of head, § of a diameter from the end of snout, 1 diameter apart. 



Body elliptical, but tapering off more towards the caudal than towards the head. Upper and 

 lower profiles about equally curved, profile to anterior margin of the anal sharp and keeled with a 

 row of twenty-eight sharp pointed scales along its edge. 



Mouth a third longer than it is broad, overhung by the snout : upper jaw the longest, and 

 the intermaxillaries triangular and broad, forming three-fourths of the upper lip, extending poste- 

 iorlv to below the anterior margin of the orbit. Maxilla extends to beneath the anterior third of 

 the orbit. Mandibula wedge-shaped anteriorly. Opercle rather narrow, twice as high as wide, the 

 posterior margin rather convex, and the anterior slightly more so. Preopercle broad, with rounded 

 angles. Sub- and interopercles of moderate size. The uncovered branchiostegous membrane is 

 broad. Nostrils rather wide apart, the posterior oval and the anterior round, both opposite the 



2 i2 



r 



