238 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



times in a sinrjJe row ; folate edentulous. A single dorsal fin, having less spines (8-10) titan rays (15-17) : anal 

 vfith three spines continuous with the soft piortion, which has less rays (13-14) than the soft dorsal: no finlets : ventrals 

 thoracic. Scales small, cycloid, and sometimes deciduous. Lateral-line unarmed, usually complete, hut in some 

 species ceasing beneath the middle or end of the dorsal fin. Air-vessel terminating anteriorly in two Iwrns. Pyloric 

 appendages few. 



The species included in this Genus are vcrj similar one with another, but are chiefly to be dis- 

 tinguished by the following points. The comparative lengtli of the head and height of the body to that of the 

 total leng-th. Like-n-ise the length of the dorsal and anal sjnnes. (The length given of these spines in the 

 following species is comparative, as they are liable to consideraljle variation.) Whether the supraorbital edge is 

 smooth or serrated. If the breast and" chest are scaled or scaleless.* If the teeth are in one or more rows. 

 "WTiilst some have, others have not, a black blotch on the spinous dorsal fin. 



Geographical distribution. — Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



Uses. — These small fish are extensively sun-dried in India. The salt tax renders refined salt too expensive 

 to be employed in fish-curing by the poorer classes, or the value of the article would be beyond the reach of the 

 consumers. It is also illegal (except along a portion of the Western coast) to collect salt earth for preserving fish. 

 Consequently, as a rule, fish have to be consumed fresh, or if preserved, are mostly only sun-dried. These thin 

 and bony forms are soaked in sea water (which is sometimes partially evaporated previously) and dried in the 

 open air. Of course, being only very slightly cured, they rapidly become putrid, or at a,ny rate greatly 

 deteriorate in moist weather, and if consumed during the monsoon months, are liable to set up visceral irritation 

 as diarrhoea and dysentery. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Equida edentula. Length of head 1/4, height of body half to 1\ in the total length. Supraorbital 

 edge serrated. No scales on chest. No black mark on dorsal fin. Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archi- 

 pelago and beyond. 



2. Equida Dussumieri. Length of head 4j, height of body 1\ in the total length. Supraorbital edge 

 not serrated. No scales on chest. No black mark on dorsal fin. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



3. Equula splendens. Length of head one-fourth, height of liody 'i\ to 2| in the total length. Supra- 

 orbital edge coarsely serrated. Scales on chest. A deep black blotch on spinous dorsal. Red Sea, seas of India 

 to the Malay Archipelago. 



4. Equula daura. Length of head 4|, height of body 3f in the total length. Supraorbital edge not 

 serrated. No scales on chest. Upper half of spinous dorsal black. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



5. Equula bindus. Ventral fin very short. Upper half of spinous dorsal orange, with a narrow black 

 basal edging. Coromandel coast of India. 



6. Equula Blochii. Length of head 4|, height of body 2f to 3j in the total length. Supraorbital edge 

 serrated. Chest scaled. A brown blotch over the nape. Seas of India. 



7. Equula brevirostris. Length of head 4i, height of body 2f in the total length. Supraorbital edge 

 serrated. Chest scaleless. A brown blotch over the nape. Seas of India. 



8. Equula lineolata. Length of head 4^, height of body 2| in the total length. Supraorbital edge not 

 serrated. Chest scaled. No black blotch on spinous dorsal. 



9. Equula insidiatrix. Length of head fi-om 4f to one-fifth, height of body from 2i to 2f in the total 

 length. Supraorbital edge finely serrated. Chest scaled. A black blotch on upper portion of spinous dorsal : 

 back with rows of spots. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



10. Equula ruconius. Length of head 4i, height of body one-half of the total length. Supraorbital edge 

 serrated. Scales very deciduous, much larger than in the last species. Vertical blackish streaks on back : 

 a black blotch on spinous dorsal. Seas of India to the Malay Arcliipelago. 



11. Equula fasciata. Length of head 1/4, lieight of body 2/5 of the total length. Supraorbital edge not 

 serrated. Chest scaleless. No black blotch on spinous dorsal. Seas of India to the ilalay Archipelago. 



12. Equula oblonga. Lengtli of head 4 to 4i, height of body 3^ to 4 in the total length. Supraorbital 

 edge not serrated. Chest scaleless. No black blotch on spinous dorsal. Seas of India to the Malay Archi- 

 pelago. 



1. Equula edentula, Plate LIl, fig. 1. 



Scomber edentulus, Bl. t. 428 ; Bl. Schn. p. 36. 



Scomber equida, Forsk. p. 58; Bl. Schn. p. 36; Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 587. 



Centrogaster equula, Gmel. Linn. p. 1337. 



Zeus tottah karah, Russell, Fish. Vizag. i, p. 49, f. 52. 



Ccesio equulus, Lacep. iii, pp. 85, 90. 



Leiognathus argenteus, Lacej). iv, pp. 448, 449. 



Equula ensifera, Cuv. and Val. x, p. 66 ; Bleeker, Makr. p. 80. 



* The chest beinj; scaleless may occasionally be due to the specimen being immature. Sometimes the skin is quite smooth 

 after the scales have been rubOed off. It may be that their presence or absence has no sjiecific value. 



