TAMILT, I— PERCID^. 69 



Therapon ghehul, (Ehren.) Cuv. and Val. iii, p. 133 ; Bleeker, Perc. p. 51 ; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 281 ; 

 Kliinz. Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1870, p. 728. __ 



Therapon trivitiatus, Giinther, Catal. i, p. 280; Day, Fisli. Malabar, p. 1< ; Kner, Novara iische, p. 4.:); 

 Bleeker, Therapons, 1872, p. 37.5. 



Kove keetchaii, Tam. (Madras) : Keelputa, Tel. : Keetchan, Tarn, and Mai. 



B. vi, D. 1 V^ S P. 15, V. 1/5, A. ^?^, C. 17, L. 1. 90-100, L. tr. 13-14/24, Crec. pyl. 7, Vert. 10/13. 



Length of head 1/4 to 41, of caudal 1/5, height of body 1/4 in the total length. %es— diameter 3J to 31 

 in leno-th of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and 2/3 of a diameter apart. The maxilla reaches to below the 

 anterior edge of the orbit. Preopercle with five or six strong denticulations on its vertical limb, the second 

 above the lowest being generally the largest, whilst the two inferior are larger than the superior ones, the 

 sen-ations are also continued along its horizontal limb. Sub- and inter-opereles entire. Opercle with two 

 spines, the inferior the longest and strongest, and about equal to the largest of those on the preopercle. 

 Shoulder-bone serrated (or crenulated), as is also the one in the axilla but more strongly so. Teeth — viUiform in 

 the jaws with an outer enlarged row, rudimentary ones present on the vomer and palate in the young, but lost as 

 ao-e advances. J'ujs— dorsal spines rather slender, the foui'th to the sixth about eqwal and the longest, higher 

 than the rays and equal to about 3/5 of the height of the body, fi-om whence they decrease to the last but one, 

 the last beiuo- a little higher. Pectoral as long as the head behind the middle of the eye. Second anal spine a 

 little shorter°than the third, which equals from 1/2 to 4/9 the height of the body : caudal emarginate. Colours— 

 greyish, with three or four longitudinal straight blackish-brown bands : spinous portion of dorsal in its upper 

 three quarters blackish between the third or foui-th and seventh or eighth spines. Two oblique bands pass 

 across the upper caudal lobe, and one, sometimes two, across its lower one. The young are similar to the adult, 

 except that they look as if light spots were present along the interspace between the first three horizontal bands, 

 giving the appearance of sinuous oblique dark bands. 



Eahitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Ai-chipelago. 



2. Therapon jarbua, Plate XVIII, fig. 4. 



Scimna jarlua, Forsk. Desc. Anim. p. 50; Gm. Linn. p. 1303; Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 541. 



Holocentrus servus, Bloch, t. 238, f. 1. 



Holuceiitrus jarbua, Lacep. iv, pp. 348, 355. 



Grammistes servus, Bl. Schn. p. 185. 



Coius tr'wiUatns, Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 92, 370, 



Therapon Timoriensis, Quoy and Gaim. Voy. Uran. Poiss. p. .3'41. 



Therapon servus, Cuv. and Val. iii, p. 125, and vii, p. 479 ; Riippell, N". \V. Fische, p. 95 ; Bleeker, Perc. 

 p. 50, and Atl. Icli. Perc. t. xxxiv, f. 2 ; Richards. Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist, ix, p. 125 ; Giinther, Catal. 1, p. 278, 

 and Fische d. Sudsee, p. 26 ; Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 18 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 45. 



PterapoH trii-ittatus, Gray and Hardw. Ind. Zool. (from H. B. Mss.) 



Therapon trivittatus. Cantor. Catal. p. 19. 



Therapon jarbua, Klunzinger, Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1870, p. 729. 



Therajjon (Datnia) jarbua, Bleeker, Therapons, 1872, p. 377. 



FaUu keetchan, Tam. : Gahnu, Ooriah : Nga-sabasa-sa, ' Paddy eating fish,' Arrac. : Boorgooni and Jeerpye, 

 Beng-Chitt. 



B. vi, D. W-tV, P- 13, V. 1/5, A. t^V- ^- 17, L. 1. 80-90, L. tr. 15/30, Vert. 10/15. 



Length of head from 3/11 to 1/4, of caudal 1/5, height of body ^ to 3% in the total length. Eyes- 

 diameter 3I to 1/4 in length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and also apart. The maxUla reaches to 

 below the first third of the orbit. Preorbital moderately serrated in the last two-thirds of its lower edge. 

 Vertical limb of preopercle with fi-om 12 to 14 serrations, the two at its rounded angle being much the strongest, 

 alono' the lower limb are about eight weaker ones. Sub- and inter-opercles with fine serrations at their 

 approximating edges, which may or may not be blunted with age, those from the Malabar coast appear to be 

 the most strongly serrated. Upper opercular spine small, the lower large and strong, and its length equal to 

 about two-thirds of the diameter of the orbit. Shoulder-bone, also the one in the axilla, serrated, very strongly 

 so in the young. Teeth— an outer somewhat enlarged row iu the jaws, fine ones likewise generally present on 

 the vomer ancf palatines, more especially in the young. J'//(,s— dorsal spines moderately strong, the tliird and 

 fourth the longest, of about the same height and equal to half that of the body below them : second anal spme 

 usuaUy the strongest, and sUghtly shorter than the third : caudal forked. Colours— hac'k bluish-grey, becoming 

 white on the abdomen, with a tinge of gold along the cheeks and snout. Three longitudinal reddish-brown 

 bands, having a sHght convexity downwards, pass along the body : the upper from ia front of the dorsal spmes 

 to the eio-hth or ninth : the second from the occiput to the end of the soft dorsal having reached the lateral-line 

 in its concave course : the third from the back of the head to the lower opercular spine, and continued m a 

 curved direction to the centre of the caudal fin. Sometimes a fourth band is present along the abdomen. 

 Ventral and anal with a yellow tinge along their centres. Dorsal interspinous membrane milk-white, with a 

 black mark in its upper two-thirds between the third and sixth spines : a second commences at the eighth 

 spine, and is continued along the whole base of the soft dorsal : upper edge of first three dorsal rays tipped 

 with black : caudal with two oblique bands across each lobe : eye yellowish-red.. 



