2i)2 THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



Leptocephalus Malabaeicus. Plate XIX. Fig. 1. 



Leptocephalus Malabaeicus, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 308. 



Length of specimen 3^ inches. Lateral muscles about 212. 



Length of head -jL of total length. Height of head about jfc, of body jVj, of dorsal fin about ^ 5 , 

 of anal about ^ of total length. 



Eyes— In the centre of the height of the head : diameter \ of length of head, 1 diameter from 

 end of snout. 



Profile from snout nearly horizontal to the upper margin of the occiput, from whence it is 

 slightly raised. Body very compressed. 



Mouth cleft to beyond the posterior margin of the orbit : snout produced overlapping the 

 lower lip. 



Probably due to accident, a circular hole exceeding the diameter of the eye, exists at the 

 posterior extremity of the anterior two-fifths of the body, midway below the vertebral column and 

 the ventral surface : also a notch near the under surface of the caudal. 



Fins — Destitute of rays. The dorsal commences a short distance behind the head, and is con- 

 tinuous with the caudal and anal. Anal occupies the posterior half of the body. Pectoral absent. 

 Caudal short. 



Colours — Body whitish. Eye golden, its lower surface orange. A line of yellow spotted 

 with green proceeds backwards from the eye, a second from the mouth, which last also traverses 

 the lower lip. 



This little fish was brought alive, and remained about two hours swimming about in a globe of 

 water. 



* Leptocephalus acuticaudatus. 



Leptocephalus acuticaudatus, Kaup, Catal. Brit. Mus. p. 151, f. 16. 



Head moderately blunt. Ring-like dots on the anterior part of the ventral border. 



Teeth — Absent. 



Fins — Caudal and pectoral pointed. The dorsal fin, destitute of visible rays, begins near the 

 head. 



Colours — The pigmentary rings on the fore part of the ventral rim pass into black points, 

 which probably extend to the tip of the tail. 



This specimen was brought from Malabar by Dussumier. 



Habitat — Malabar. 



* Leptocephalus Dussumieei. 

 Leptocephalus Dussumieei, Kaup, Catal. Brit. Mus. p. 151, f. 17. 



" Blag. A very small head, no teeth, and a pointed tail destitute of a caudal fin. No dots 

 either on the lateral line or along the edge of the belly. 



Descr. Three examples exist in the Paris Museum, one of which is dried up to the thinness of 

 paper ; and a small one was sent from Malabar by Dussumier. It is a moderately elongated 

 species, whose transverse muscular furrows are very fine, and not near each other. The pectorals 

 are wanting. In none of the fins could I discover rays." — Kaup. 



