246 ACANTHOPTERTGII. 



Family, XVII— STEOMATEID^. 



Stromateincr, Swainson. 



Branchiostegals from five to seven : pseudobranchiae. Body oblong or slightly elongated and compressed 

 Gill-openings wide. Eyes lateral. The infraorbital bones do not articulate with the preopercle. Small 

 teeth in the jaws, palate edentulous : barbed teeth extend into the oesophagus. One long dorsal fin without 

 any distinct spinous division, or with rudimentary spines anteriorly: ventrals, when present, thoracic. 

 No prominent papilla near the vent. Air-vessel, when present, small. Pyloric appendages few, in moderate 

 numbers, or numerous. Vertebrae exceed 10-14. 



Geographical distribution. — Found in most tropical and temperate seas. 



SYNOPSIS IN INDIVIDUAL GENUS. 



Genus, 1 — Sthomateus, Aiiedi. 



Peprilus, Cuv. : Apoledus, Cuv. and Val. (young having ventral fins) : Bhomhus (ventrals reduced to a 

 spine), (Lacep.) Cuv. and Val.: Seserinus (-with minute ventrals), Cuv. and Val.: iStrotnateoides, Bleeker : 

 Chondroplites and Poronotus, Gill. i m n ^ 



Branchiostegals from five to seven : psevdohranchicc. Body compressed, more or less elevated. Cleft of 

 mouth narrow or of moderate depth. Teeth small, in a single row in the jaws: palate and tongue edentulous: 

 aisojjhagus armed with numerous harhed teeth. A single long dorsal and anal fin,_ having r-udimentary spines 

 anteriorly : ventral fins not present in the adult stage. Scales small, covering the vertical fins. Lateral-line, as a 

 o-ule, smooth {keeled in S. niger). Air-vessel absent. Pyloric appendages numerous. 



After examining very numerous specimens of fish of this genus in the fish markets of India, I could not 

 resist the belief that reduced as the number of species had been from what were formerly recognized, a still 

 further reduction might stOl be necessary. I have been unable to convince myself of more than three 

 distinct species, which may be recognised in the fry and immature by the follo-iving characters. 



SYNOPSIS OP SPECIES. 



1. Stromateus Sinensis, D. 43-50, A. 39-42. Caudal lobes of about equal length. No free spines before 

 dorsal or anal fins. Seas of India to China. 



2. Stromateus cinereus, D. 5-9 | a^i^a, A. 5-G ] -^^1^;^. Lower caudal lobe much the longer, iree, 

 truncated, spines before both dorsal and anal fins. Seas of India to China. 



3. Stromateus niger, D. ^j^^tt, A. j^^.^. Ventral fins present in the young. Last portion of lateral- 

 line keeled. Deep brown colour. Seas of India to China. 



1. Stromateus Sinensis, Plate LI, C. fig. 6 (young). 



Euphrasin, Vetensk. Acad. Nya Handl. Stockh. ix, p. 49, t. ix ; Bl. Schn. p. 492 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 140 ; 

 Day, ri.sb. Malabar, p. 76. 



,S'<TO9?2atets nfoo fcom, Russell, Fish. Vizag. i, p. 33, pi. 44. ,rTT je loci 



Stromateus atous, Cuv. and Val. is, p. 389 ; Richards. Ich. China, p. 273 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and be. 1«51, 

 p. 137 ; Gunther, Catal. ii, p. 399. 



Stromateus alius, Cuv. and Val. ix, p. 388 ; Cantor, Ann. and Mag. is, p. 15. 



Stromateus candidus, Bleeker, Ich. M. 0. Java, p. 9 (not Cuv. and Val.). 



Stromateoides atookoia, Bleeker, Makr. p. 369, and Makr. p. 76. 



Vella anvoolee, Mai. ; Mogang voval. Tarn. ; White pomfret. 



B. vi, D. 43-50, P. 25, A. 39-42, C. 19. 



Length of head 4^ to 5, of pectoral 3i- to 4, of caudal 4i. to 5, height of body If to li in the total length 

 E)/Ps— diameter 34 to 4^ in length of head, 2/3 to 1 cUameter from end of snout, and If apart. Dorsal and 

 abdominal profiles about equally convex. The lower jaw the longer, especially m young specimens : the 

 maxilla reaches to beneath the first third of the eye. Teeth— in a fine single row m each jaw, becoming lost 

 with ao-e. i^//(s— first four or five dorsal rays very short, and not appearmg above the skm, its anterior 

 portioiris similar to that of the anal and equals the length of the pectoral fin. First five anal rays short but 

 not appearing above the skin. Caudal with equal lobes, in the young it is slightly emargmate. Even m the young 

 there is no trace of any ventral fins. Sc-_t/es— small and very deciduous, especially m the immature, m the adu t 

 they cover the vertical fins. C'o?o«rs— upper surface of head and body as far as the lateral-hne ot a deep neutral- 

 tint the rest of the liody mth a mixture of bro^miish-gray, having metallic reflections, becoming lighter and 

 silvery towards the abdomen : it is dotted all over with brown, the larger spots having a silvery point m their 

 centre. Fins silvery-gray, marginal half blackish. Cavity of the mouth and tongue pale bluish-gray with 

 brown dots silvery in the centre. Iris reddish-silver or copper coloured, minutely dotted with brown, the 

 young are gray, the head covered with irregularly star-shaped spots, and the fins nearly black, especially 



at their ed2:es. , ,, -r^ „ , n ii i 



Jerdon observes, I. c, " this is by far the finest eating of all the genus. ' Russell, however, says, though 



alike in colour, this fish is very different from the Stromateus cinereus of Bloch ; which is specifically 



characterized by the length of the lower lobe of the caudal fin," (p. 34.) . , . x, j. , . j 



Habitat —?<eai^ of India, Malay Archipelago, and China. This species of Pomfret is that most esteemed 



for eating : in Malabar it is by no means rare during the S. W. monsoon (from June till beptember.) tt 



