2 GO THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 



Mouth anterior, lower jaw longest, cut obliquely, its posterior end being the highest, and its 

 extremity forming more than half a circle. Lips thin. Nostrils situated in front of the eyes, 

 approximating, rather tubular, the anterior largest and furnished with a valve. Gill openings 

 small, linear, oblique, then- upper ends opposite the posterior margin of the orbit, and their length 

 one-third more than that of the orbit. 



Teeth — About eight pointed and cutting, the largest being in the centre. 



Fins — First dorsal arises over the centre of the orbit and base of pectoral : the second dorsal 

 and anal opposite one another, or the last rather the most anterior, they are situated in the poste- 

 rior half of the body. First dorsal consists of one long and thin spine, which can be laid flat, and 

 a smaller one posterior to it, a groove equal to half its length exists along the back behind its base. 

 Second dorsal consists of unbranched rays of about equal height. Pectoral pointed. Anal the same 

 as the second dorsal. Caudal large, rounded with coarse branched rays. The Unless portion of the 

 tail between the end of the vertical fins and the base of the caudal, equals one and a half transverse 

 diameters of the orbit. 



Skin — Body covered with minute closely placed granules — in some places becoming hair-like 

 and rough : the dorsal spine also rough. 



Colours — Yellowish, with small spots all over the head and body. Some fine blue lines round 

 the eyes and encircling the mouth. Large blue spots and blotches in four or five irregular rows 

 over the whole surface of the body. Dorsal and anal pinkish : caudal tipped with the same 

 colour, otherwise of a dark brown very indistinctly barred. 



Grows to about ten inches in length. 



Habitat — Seas of Malabar, Malaysia, China, Canary Islands and Caribbean Sea. 



Genus TRI ACANTHUS, Cuvier. 



Body moderately compressed : skin covered with minute closely set scales. Two dorsal fins, the 

 anterior dorsal having its first spine elongated and stout : and a strong spine representing the ventral fin, 

 which is moveable and articulated to a pelvis which is not prominent. All these spines can be laid 

 flat in grooves posterior to them. Caudal fin moderately long. 



Teiacanthus BIACULEATUS. 



Balistes biaculeatus, Block, t. 148, f. 2 ; Bennett, pi. 15. 

 Boweee or Abatoo, Russell, pi. 21. 

 Teiacanthus biaculeatus, Cantor, Catal. p. 360. 



B. vi. D. 5 | 24-25. P. 14. V. 1. A. 19-20. C. 14. 



Length of head \, of pectoral y^, of caudal \, of base of first dorsal t X q, of base of second 

 dorsal f, of base of anal \ of the total length. Height of head \, of body \, of first dorsal \, 

 of second dorsal -j 1 ^, of ventral 7 , of anal ^ of the total length. 



Eyes — Oval and close to profile : horizontal diameter ^, vertical diameter A of length of head, 

 2 horizontal diameters from end of snout, 1 diameter apart. 



Body elliptical, decreasing in size towards the caudal fin : a considerable rise from snout to 

 first dorsal, and rather a protrusion opposite the orbits, its highest portion being between the first 

 dorsal and ventral fins. 



