FAMILY, XVIII— CORYPH^XID^. 240 



Genus, 2 — Mene, Lace^^. 

 BrancMostegals seven. Body oval, strongly eomjiressed, with a prominent and sliarp-edged abdomen. Mouth 

 very protractile. Villiform teeth in the jaivs, palate edentulous. A single long dorsal fin, without any distinct 

 spinous portion, commencing on the back and extending nearly to the caudal : anal spineless, having many rays 

 which are enveloped in shin and have very broad free extremities : ventral thoracic, with one spine and five rays, the 

 first of which is very elongate. Scales absent. Air-vessel large and bifurcated posteriorly. Pyloric appendages 

 nmnerous. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Mene maculata, D. to-It) -^^ 30-33. Two rows of the blue spots along the back. Seas of India, to the 

 IVIalay Archipelago and beyond. * 



1. Mene maculata, Plate LIII, fig. 5. 



Zeus maculatus, Bl. Schn. p. 95, pi. 22. 



Mene anna Carolina, Lacep. v, pp. 479, 480, pi. xiv, f. 2. 



Zeus ambata huttee, Russell, Fish. Vizag. i, p. 47, pi. 60. 



Mene maculata, Cuv. and Val. x, p. 104, pi. 28.5 ; Temm. and Schleg. Fauna Japon. Poiss. p. 127, 

 p. 67, f. 3; Richards. Ich. China, p. 276; Cantor, Catal. p. 154; Bleaker, Makr. p. 86; Cuv. Reg. Anim. 111. 

 Poiss. pi. 62, t. 2 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 138 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 415. 



Ambutan parah. Tarn. 



B. vii, D. ^:f3, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. 30-33, C. 18, Crsc. pyl. 25-30. 



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

 length of head, 4/5 of a diameter apart, and 1 to Ij from end of snout. Body ovoid, highest anteriorly. 

 Dorsal profile nearly horizontal, the abdominal very abruptly descending to the base of the ventral fin, from 

 whence it gently curves so far as the commencement of the caudal. Mouth oblique, the lower jaw being 

 anterior, cleft twice as long as the gape : anterior portion of the upper jaw formed by the premaxillaries, the 

 maxilla smooth and S-shaped extends to below the anterior edge of the orbit. Opercles entire. Occipital 

 crest high. Teeth — in villiform rows in the jaws. Fins — dorsal highest anteriorly, its first few rays undivided 

 and more elevated than the remainder. Pectoral as long as the head excluding the snout, rays flat : 

 ventral spine short, its first ray compressed and very long. Anal rudimentary, its rays forming short, -nnde, and 

 flat processes : caudal deeply lobed. Laternl-line — sometimes ceases below the end of the dorsal fin, or on 

 reaching the upper caudal lobe it may divide into two branches, the lower of which descends. Colours — dee]) 

 blue along the back, becoming silvery white on the sides and abdomen : from two to three rows of large spots 

 along the superior half of the body above the level of the pectoral fin. 



This fish is termed " Amatti hatti," Tarn. i. e. "rasor," Jerdon, I. c. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond : attaining at least 8\ inches in length. 



-J, K 



