FAMILY, XVI— CARAJSTGID^. 237 



Val. vii, p. 232 ; Riipp. Atl. p. 67, t. xviii, f. 3 ; Bleeker, Sumatra, iv, p. 81 ; Giintlier, Catal. ii, p. 490 ; Klunz. 

 Verb. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1870, p. 793). 



Habitat. — Red Sea, East coast of Africa, througli the seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 

 The one figvu-ed (life-size) is from the Andamans. 



Genus, 10 — PsENES, Cm. and Val. 



Branchiostegals, six. Bodij compressed and elevated, with the frontal region swollen. Eyes lateral. Cleft of 

 mouth shallow, with a short snout. A row of fine teeth in the jaivs, none on the palate. Two dorsal fins, the first 

 continuous : the second with more rays and similar to the anal, which last has two or three spines joined to the soft 

 portion of the fin: no finlets. Lateral-line unarmed. Air-vessel bifurcated posteriorly. 



Geographical distribution. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Psenes Javanicus, D. 9-10 [ -s^^-jt) -'^- tt-toi ^- 1- 55. Leaden colour, with dark fins except the 

 pectoral which is yellow. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



2. Psenes Indious, D. 10 | ti-tsi ^- A"i •'-'• 1- 41-43. Silvery. Madras, in the sea. 



1. Psenes Javanicus, Plate LI, G. fig. 1. 

 Cuv. and Val. ix, p. 264; Bleeker, Maki-. p. 74, and Amboina, 1857, p. 60; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 494. 

 B. vi, D. 9-10 I ^1^, P. 19, V. 1/5, A. ^?^, C. 17, L. 1. 55, L. tr. 15/18. 



Length of head 1/4, of pectoral 1/6, of caudal 1/4, height of body 1/3 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 

 1/3 of length of head, 1/2 a diameter from end of snout, and 2/3 of a diameter apart. Dor.sal profile elevated, 

 especially above the nostrils. Body compressed. Lower jaw the longer. Cleft of mouth very oblique, 

 commencing opposite the middle or upper thii-d of the front edge of the eye : the maxilla reaches to below the 

 first third of the eye. Teeth — in a single row of comparatively large ones in either jaw, palate edentulous. 

 Fins — the first dorsal commences above the hind edge of the opercle, the spines are weak, the third being the 

 longest and equal to the anterior dorsal rays or 2/5 the height of the body, the interspinous membrane deeply 

 emarginate. Second dorsal highest anteriorly, the upper margin of its fin rather concave. Pectoral rather 

 pointed. Ventral 1/3 shorter than the pectoral, and almost reaching to the base of the anal fin. Caudal deeply 

 lunated. Scales — small and cycloid. Lateral-line — nearly straight. Colours — generally leaden, dorsal and 

 . anal fins black. Pectoral yellow. Caudal vrith a yellowish tinge. 



Psenes auratus, Cuv. and Val. ix, p. 264, has the same number of spines and rays, but the eye is said to 

 be a little larger. M. Dussumier observed that the body is of a golden yellow, tinged with greenish on the 

 snout. The fins greenish, except the pectoral, which is yellow. The specimens were up to 5 inches (French) in 

 length. 



Sabitat. — Madras, in the sea where it is not uncommon, but the largest specimen I obtained (October, 

 1867) was 4^ inches in length. 



2. Psenes Indicus, Plate LIV, fig. 2. 

 Cubiceps Lidicus, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 690. 

 B. vi, D. 10 I t^It^, p. 23, V. 1/5, A. ^, C. 18, L. 1. 41-43. 



Length of head 3^ to 3i, of caudal 4^ to 5, height of body 2f to 2| in the total length. Eyes — diameter 

 21 to 3 in length of head, 1/3 to 1/2 of a diameter from end of snout, and about 1 apart. Abdominal profile 

 rather more convex than that of the back, body compressed : snout short. Lower jaw the longer, the maxilla 

 reaches to below the front edge of the eye. Cleft of mouth equals half its gape. Preopercle entire : opercle 

 ending in a rounded point and spineless. Teeth— in a fine single row in either jaw. Fins — dorsal spines feeble, 

 from the second to the fifth subequal in length, 1/3 higher than the soft dorsal fin. Pectoral as long as the head 

 excluding the snout. Ventral reaches above half way to the anal, the spines of which last are low. Caudal 

 deeply forked. Scales — very deciduous : some extended on to soft dorsal, anal, and caudal fins. Lateral-line — 

 on a row of plate-like scales, the tubes are branched posteriorly. Colours — silvery, with a pui-pHsh gloss. 

 Spinous dorsal rather dark in its upper part. 



Habitat. — Madras, where several specimens were captured in the sea (up to 4| inches in length) during 

 the month of October. 



Genus, 11 — Equula,* Cuv. and Val. 

 Leiognathus, Lacep.f 



Branchiostegals from five to six : pseudobranchicB. Body oblong or elevated and strongly compressed. Eyes 

 lateral. Mouth very protractile. Lower edge of preopjercle serrated. Minute teeth of equal size in the jaws, some- 



• Fishes of this Genns are termed Caraputty in Madras, and are eaten salted by natives who are suffering from malarious 

 fevers. At Akyab they are called Nga^da^i-gah. 



t In Cut. and Val. it is observed that this Generic terra was given under the supposition of the jaws being toothless, but as 

 they are invarialjly toothed it is inadmissible. 



