TAMILT, V~SPARID^. 133 



Crenidens macracantluis, Giintlier, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. Nov. 1874, p. 368. 



Keen-see, Belooch. : Oohiii, Tarn. 



B. V, D. fa:H, P. 1.5, V. 1/5, A. ^'^, C. 17, L. 1. 53-55, L. tr. 7/13, Cajc. pyl. 5. 



Length of head 1/4 to 2/9, of caudal about 1/5, height of body 4/11 to 1/4 of the total length. Ei/es— 

 diameter 2/7 to 1/3 of length of head, 1 to IJ diameters from end of snout, and 1 apart. Form of body oval 

 and compressed : a slight swelling above the eyes. The maxilla reaches to below the front edge of the orbit. 

 Preorbital broad, scaleless, occasionally notched on its lower margin to receive the extremity of the maxilla. 

 Opercle with a soft point. Teeth — a compressed row in the front of either jaw, eight in the upper, each bemg 

 lobed at the sides, behind this row are three more of the same character but smaller in size and more in number ; 

 in laro-e specimens there may be some with rounded crowns in the inner row : in the mandible there are ten in 

 the front row smaller' in size than those in the upper jaw each haraig about five notches, behind these are two 

 or three rows as in the upper jaw. Fins — dorsal spines strong, the fourth which is the longest, equalling 2/5 

 to 1/3 in the height of the body, they are alternately wider on one side. Pectoral extending to above_ the base 

 of the anal : second anal spine strong and nearly or quite as long as the foui-th of the dorsal, the third which 

 is weaker, is of about equal length : caudal emarginate. Scales — two or three rows on the cheeks, 6^ or 5 

 entii-e and 2 half rows between the lateral-line and sixth dorsal spine, 17 rows between snout and base of dorsal 

 fin, and 9 or 10 between base of ventral and lateral-line. Colours — greyish-silvery, the scales on the head and 

 anterior portion of the body with black edges, dark lines along the rows on the body: dorsal and anal fins 

 black except the last anal ray which is white : pectoral yellow, with its base orange, and a black spot in axilla : 

 outer two-thirds of ventral black, the rest bluish-white : caudal dark grey with a black edge. 



Jlahitat. — Very common along the Sind coast and not rare at Madras : attaining at least 12 inches in 

 length. Also found at Suez. The specimen figured is from Sind and 10 inches long. 



2. Crenidens Forskalii. 



Spams crenidens, Forsk. Desc. Anim. p. xv. No. 19. 



Crenidens ForsJcaKi, Cuv. and Val. vi, p. 377, pi. 1G2 quater ; Ruppcll, N. W. Fische, p. 120 ; Peters, 

 Wieg. Ai-ch. 1855, p. 243 ; Gunther, Catal. i, p. 424. 



B. V, D. H, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. ^.\y, C. 17, L. 1. 52, L. tr. 5/15, Ca3c. pyl. 3. 



Length of head 4i to 4|, of caudal 4/21 to 1/5, height of body 2f of the total length, j^j/es— diameter 

 2/7 of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and also apart. A swelling over the anterior-superior 

 angle of the eye. The maxilla reaches to below the anterior nostril. Preorbital two-thirds as high as the orbit 

 is wide. Teeth — in a compressed row in front of either jaw as in the last species (G. Indicus), but with ten in 

 the anterior row in the upper and twelve in the lower jaw. Fins — dorsal spines rather weak, with the fourth 

 slightly the longest, and rather less than half the length of the head : pectoral much longer than the head, but 

 not reaching to above the anal spines, which latter are weak, the third being equal to two-thirds of the length 

 of the fourth dorsal spine, and not quite so strong as the second : caudal forked. Scales — 11 or 12 rows between 

 the base of the ventral fin and the lateral-line, and 5^ or four entire and two half rows between the lateral-line 

 and base of the sixth dorsal spine. Colours — silvery, the vertical fin being rather darker than the body. 



Habitat. — Red Sea, seas of India, Sind, and the coast of Mozambique. 



Second group — Sargina. 

 Cutting teeth in front of jaws : no molars. Lower pectoral rays branched. 



Genus, 2 — Saegus, (Klein), Cm. 

 Bra7ichiostegals five or six : pseudohramhice. Openxle either imarmed or with a blunt point. A single row of 

 cutting teeth in the front part of the jaws, and several lateral rows of rounded molars. A single dorsal with from ten, 

 to thirteen spines receivable into a groove along its base: anal with three. Scales finely ctenoid, of moderate size, 

 covering the cheehs. Air-vessel sometimes notched anteriorly and posteriorly. Pyloric appendages few. 



Geographical distribution. — This genus has a wide range, being found in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and 

 the Western shores of India. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



Sargus nod. D. -rl^^, A. ^V, L. 1. 62-68, L. tr. 6/16. Eight flattened and compressed incisors in either 

 jaw. A black spot on the lateral-line on either side of the tail. Red Sea, Beloochistan and Sind. 



1. Sargus noct. Plate XXXII, fig. 5. 



(Ehren.) Cuv. and Val. vi, p. 51 : Riippell, N. W. Fische, p. 110; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 444; Kkuiz. 

 Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1870, p. 81. 



Keen-see, Belooch. 



B. vi, D. ^\^, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. ^\, C. 17, L. 1. 62-68, L. tr. 7-8/lG, Ca^c. pyl. 8 (5), Vert. 10/13. 



Length of head 1/4 to 2/9, of caudal 1/5, height of body 3/10 of the total length. Fyes—A\a.meicr 

 1/3 to 1/4 of the length of head, 1^ to l\ diameters from end of snout, and also apart. Dorsal and abdominal 



