FAMILY, XVn— STROMATEID^. 247 



should be cooked when quite fresh. The young are common round the coasts and ascend estuaries. I found 

 them numerous during March in the Sunderbunds. The one figured (life-size) is from Bombay. Russell's 

 figure of the adult is a very good representation of the fish. 



2. Stromateus cinereus, Plate LIII, fig. 3. 



Bloch, xii, p. 90, t. ccccxx. (semi-adiM) ; Cantor, Catal. p. 143 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 400 ; Day, Fish. 

 Malabar, p. 78 (immature). 



Strmnateus argenteus, Bloch, xii, p. 92, t. ccccxxi ; Russell, Fish. Vizag. i, p. 35 ; Cuv. and Val. ix, p. 393 ; 

 Cantor, Catal. p. 142 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 400 ; Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 77 (adult). 



Stromateus sudi sandawah, Russell, Fish. Vizag. i, p. 34, pi. 45 {immature). 



Stromateus tella saiidawah, Russell, 1. c. i, p. 31 ; pi. 42 (adult). 



Stromateus candidus, Cuv. and Val. ix, p. 391 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 137. 



Stromateus securifer, Cuv. and Val. ix, p. 394, pi. 273 (immature) . 



Strmnateus griseus, Cuv. and Val. ix, p. 395 ; Jerdon, 1. c. p. 138. 



Stromateoides cinereus, Bleeker, Makr. p. 368. 



Vella voval, Tarn. ; Silver-pomfret (immature) ; Gray-^omfret, (adult). 



B. vii, D. 5-9 I 3^!^, P. 27, A. 5-6 \ ^i„, C. 19. 



Length of head 4 to 4^, of pectoral 2\ to 2f , height of body li to If in the total length excluding the 

 caudal fin. Eyes — diameter 1/4 to 1/5 of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and l^- to 2 apart. 

 Snout projecting over the mouth : the maxilla reaches to below the first third of the orbit. Teeth — in a single 

 row in either jaw. Fins — the dorsal spines appear in a truncated form above the skin, as do also 

 those of the anal : anterior portion of soft dorsal elevated, but not to so great an extent as the anterior part 

 of the anal which in the immature reaches to below the middle of the caudal fin, but as age advances it 

 gradually becomes shortened. Pectoral rather pointed. Caudal deeply forked, the lower lobe much the longer 

 in the immature, sometimes being twice as long as the upper. Scales — small and very deciduous. Colours — 

 upper surface of head and back as low as the lateral-line of a grayish neutral-tint with purplish refiections, 

 sides of head and body silvery-gray, fading to white on the abdomen, and everywhere covered with minute 

 black dots : a dark spot on upper portion of the opercle. Dorsal and anal gi'ay minutely dotted with black, 

 the outer half being the darker. Caudal and pectoral yellowish-white, also minutely dotted with black, the 

 outer half being the darker. Iris silvery. The young are much darker, the vertical fins being nearly black. 



The occiput in the adult of this species is striated almost horizontally as shown in Russell's figure, but 

 the commencement of these furrows is apparent in the immature. 



The larger specimens (Gray-pomfrets) are considered superior to the immature (sUver-pomfrets) 

 for eating. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond, attaining at least a foot in length. The 

 specimen figured is a httle over 7 inches long. 



3. Stromateus niger, Plate LIII, fig. 4. 



.'' Stromateus paru, Linn. Syst. Nat. xii, I, p. 432 ; Bloch, v, p. 75, (Stromateus Jiatola), t. 160 ; Bl. Schn. 

 p. 491 ; Lacep. ii, p. 319 ; Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 108. 



Stromateus niger, Bloch, t. 422; Bl. Schn. p. 492, t. xciii ; Shaw, Zool. iv, p. Ill; Cuv. and Val. ix, 

 p. 385 ; Cantor, Ann. and Mag. ix, p. 15, and Catal. p. 139 ; Richards. Ich. China, p. 272 ; Bleeker, Makr. 

 p. 370, and Makr. p. 77 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 138 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 401 ; Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 79. 



Stromateus nala stindawah, Russell, Fish. Vizag. i, p. 32, pi. 43. 



Apolectus stromateus, Cuv. and Val. viii, p. 439, pi. 238 (immature) ; Cantor, Catal. p. 123. 



Nala-sanda-wah, Tel. ; Baal, Ooriah ; Curroopoo-voval, Tarn. ; Kar-anvoolee, Mai. ; Ko-lig-dah, And. 



B vii D = P 2'^ A » n in 



Length of head 2/9, of caudal 1/4, height of body 3/7 to 3 in total length. Eyes — diameter 4^ to 5 in 

 length of head, 1\ diameters from end of snout, and nearly 2 apart. Dorsal and abdominal profiles equally 

 angular. The lower jaw the longer : the maxiDa extends to beneath the anterior margin to the orbit. 

 Teeth — in a fine single series in both jaws. Fins — the dorsal and anal are much elevated anteriorly, very low 

 posteriorly, with concave external margins. Pectoral 1/2 longer than the head, and falciform : ventrals 

 only apparent in the young, in a specimen 3^^ inches in length they are jugular, and equal 1/8 of the 

 total leng-th. The spines, before the dorsal and anal fins, which are concealed in the adult fish, are 

 apparent in the young specimens. Scales — small, and extended over the vertical fins. Lateral-line — gently 

 curves downwards, and in its last fourth passes straight to the centre of the caudal, in the form of a raised 

 keeled line with lateral shields as perceived in the genus Garanx. Colours — deep brown or grayish-brown with 

 blue reflections : cheeks, opercles, and abdomen pale-neutral or brownish-neutral. Dorsal and anal grayish-brown, 

 stained black towards their margins : pectoral and caudal brownish, edged with black. Iris brownish-blue : in 

 the young it is gray. The dorsal and anal fins black, and the tail yellow, with three brown cross bands. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Ai-chipelago and China. Grows to two feet in length, is excellent 

 eating. John observes that the people of Tranquebar dislike it, because a species of parasite similar to a 

 wood-louse is often found in its mouth. It appears in Malabar about the same time as the S. Sinensis. It comes 

 in shoals, and disappears as suddenly as it arrives. The specimen figured is from Madras and about 15 inches long. 



