FAMILY, VIII— TEUTHIDID^. 105 



Family, VIII— TEUTHIDIDyE, Cuv. 



Teuthjes, pt. Cuv. 



Branchiostegals five : pseudobranchieB well developed. Body oval and strongly compressed. Eyes of 

 moderate size, lateral. Mouth slightly cleft, and but little protractile. A single row of cutting incisors in 

 either jaw : palate edentulous. One dorsal fin with the spinous portion more developed than the soft: anal 

 with seven spines. Ventrals thoracic, with two spines and three intermediate soft rays. Scales minute. 

 A complete lateral line, but no armature, on the side of the free portion of the tail. Air-vessel present. 

 Pyloric appendages few. 



Several different opinions have been advanced respecting the position this family of Acanthopterygian 

 fishes should hold. Cnv. and Val. placed them after their Mmiidce and next to their Acauthuridce. Swainson 

 observed (Fishes, ii, p. 247) : " the procumbent advanced spine before the dorsal induces me to place this o-enus 

 between Seriola and C'aranx rather than with the Acaiithuri." 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL GENUS. 

 1. Teuihls. — Definition as in the family. 



Genus, 1 — Teuthis,* Linn. 



Stganus, Forsk. : Centrogaster, Houtt. : Amphaeanthus, Bl. Schn. : Buro, (Comm.) Lacep. 



Branchiostegals five : pseudobranchim. Body oval, strongly com/presssd. Teeth small, denticulated. A siin/le 

 dorsal fin loith thirteen spines as well as a horizontal one anteriorly ; anal with seven; each ventral with two, an outer 

 and an inner one, having three intermediate rays. Scales minute, cycloid. Air-vessel large, forked loth anteriorly and 

 posteriorly. Pyloric appendages lohen present^ few (4-G) . 



Geographical distribution. — Red Sea, East coast of Africa, Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago 

 and beyond. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Teuthis Java. Neutral tint, with grey rounded spots on head, and along the back, becoming more 

 elongated on the sides and lineated on the abdomen. Seas of India, to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



2. Teuthis vermiculata. Light brown, with undulating bluish lines, about one-fourth as wide as the 

 gi'ound colour. Seas of India, to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



.3. Teuthis marmorata. More elongated than the last, colours much the same, but the blue lines are 

 narrower and become sinuously-longitudinal on the sides. Seas of India, to the Malay Arcliipelago and beyond. 



4. Teuthis virgata. Oblique lines and spots on the snout, blue spots on the upper third of the body : a 

 wide brown blue-edged ocular band, and another from the spinous dorsal to the base of the pectoral fin. An- 

 damans to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



5. Teuthis concatenata. Blue bands on the head : orange spots over the body. And'amans to the Malay 

 Archipelago. 



6. Teuthis margaritifera. Brownish-olive, with scattered small blue spots, and a dark shoulder-mark : 

 some marks and lines on the vertical fins. Andamans to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



7. Teuthis sutor. Body biglier, otherwise very similar to the last. Spots larger, those on the sides with 

 a dark centre : a dark shoulder-mark. Seychelles and Malabar. 



8. Teuthis oramin. White spots over the body : a dark shoulder-mark and barred caudal fin. Seas of 

 India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



9. Teuthis stellata. Greyish, with purplish angular spots : a dark shoulder-mark sometimes present. 

 Red Sea through those of India. 



1. Teuthis Java, Plate XXXIX, fig. 5. 



Teuthis Java, Linn. Syst. i, p. 507 ; Gmel. Linn. p. 1362 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 207 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, 

 p. 315 ; Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 125. 



Sparus spinus ? Russell, Pish. Vizag. ii, p. 2, and Worahviah, pi. 102. 



Amphacantiius Javus, Cuv. and Val. x, p. 118; Bleeker, Verb. Bat. Gen. xxiii, Teuth. p. 9 : Schleg. and 

 Mull. Verb. Nat. Ges. Overz. Bezitt, p. 10 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 205. 



Ottah, Tam. : Thar-oar-dah, Andam. ; Worahtvah, Tel. 



B. v, D. i-J, P. 18, V. 2/3,* A. i C. 19. 



Length of head 4/21, of pectoral 1/6, of caudal 1/5, height of body 3/8 to 4/11 of the total length. Eyes— 



* Worah. Tam. ; Nga-]:iron-l!a, Hugh. f Riippell states that in T. sujana they are absent. 



