300 ACANTHOPTERTGII. 



7. Apocnjptes lata, D. 5 | 21-22, A. 23. Teeth notelied. Head 2/3 as wide as lung. Light greenish, 

 -n-ith ill-defined vertical bands. Orissa and lower Bcng-al, within tidal reach. 



1. Apocryptes serperaster, Plate LXVI, fig. 2. 



Richardson, Ich. China, -p. 206 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 82. 



B. iv, D. 6 I 27, P. 21, V. 1/5, A. 27, C. 13, L. 1. 65-70, L. tr. 20. 



Length of head 6j, of caudal 5, height of tody 7 in the total length. J?;/es— diameter 4i to 5 in length 

 of head, 1 to li diameters from end of snout, and 1/4 of a diameter apart. Snout obtuse, convex. Lower jaw 

 sliii-htly the longer. Cleft of mouth oblique, the maxilla reaching to below the hind edge of the eye. Greatest 

 width of head equals its height, and its height its length behind the eye. 2'ee</i— villiform in the 

 upper jaw, with an outer enlarged row directed downwards of from four to eight on either side of the 

 symphysis of the upper jaw : in a single row in the lower jaw of teeth directed outwards, and a single or a pair 

 of laro-c canines internally above the symphysis. F'uis — dorsal fins not continuous, the first twice as high as 

 the second, its spines weak and having filamentous terminations, the last dorsal ray reaches to beyond the 

 commencement of the caudal fin. Pectoral as long as the head excluding the snout. Ventrals not having a 

 posterior attachment to the abdomen and reaching as far as the pectorals extend. Anal commences under the 

 vertical from the second ray of the dorsal, which fin it resembles, but is slightly lower. Caudal lanceolate. 

 ;^cales — over body and head, excluding the interorbital space, snout, and jaws, the smallest are between the 

 occiput and fourth dorsal spine, and anteriorly to a line drawn from thence to the base of the anal fin, posterior 

 to this they are in regular rows : they are much larger in the hinder portion of the body, there being 

 only six rows between the last dorsal ray and base of anal fin. Colours — of a dull greenish along the upper 

 surface of the head and back, becoming dull white on the sides and abdomen : five or six irregular bands pass 

 from the back to half-way down the sides. A narrow gray band along, the lower thii-d of both dorsals, which 

 are also dark externally. Caudal gray, with a Ught yellowish outer edge. Pectoral gray, with its upper and 

 five lower rays yellowish white. Anal with a narrow gray band along its centre, its outer edge dark, and its 

 last rays nearly black. 



Hahitat. — Seas and estuaries of India and China. The specimen figured (life-size) is from iladras, where 

 it is not rare up to five or six inches in length. 



2. Apocryptes rictuosus. 



Cuv. and Val. xii, p. 151 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 1-43 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 82 ; Day, Fish. 

 Malabar, p. 113. 



B. iv, D. 6 1 24-27, P. 20, V. 1/5, A. 2-5-29, C. 13, L. 1. ca. 75. 



Length of head 7|, of caudal 3, height of body 11 to 13 in the total length. JJy&s— diameter 1/6 to 1/7 

 of leng'th of head, about 1 diameter from end of snout, and 1/3 of a diameter apart. Greatest width of head 

 equalshalf its length and its height equals its length behind the eyes. Snout rather obtuse, lower jaw a Httle 

 the lono-er, cleft of mouth deep, extcndino- at least 1 diameter of the eye beyond the hind edge of orbit. Tedli — 

 from 20 to 28 pointed ones in either ramus of the lower jaw, the most external of which is recurved : a rather 

 large number also of pointed ones in the upper jaw : a pair of small canines, internally, above the symphysis of 

 the'" lower jaw. Fins — dorsals continuous at their bases, spines of first dorsal with filamentous prolongations, 

 but not much higher than the second dorsal : last dorsal ray extends to as far as the base of the caudal. 

 Pectoral as long as the head excluding the snout, and of equal length with the ventral. Anal cornmences on 

 the vertical below the second or third dorsal ray. Caudal pointed and very elongate. Scales— in ii-regular 

 rows, very small anterior to the dorsal fin, becoming larger posteriorly. Colours — grayish, lighter towards the 

 abdomen, with badly defined oblique bands passing downwards and forwards from the base of the dorsal fin half 

 way to the abdomen. Ventral whitish. Pectoral, anal, first and second dorsal whitish, externally stained with 

 gray, sometimes spotted with brown : usually a black spot surrounded by a yellow ring on the last few dorsal 

 rays. The inside of the mouth with black spots. 



Habitat. — Seas and estuaries of India, attaining 7 inches in length. 



3. Apocryptes Bleekeri, Plate LXIV, fig. 3. 



Apocryptes, Madureiisis, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1873, p. 109 (not Blecker, Blenn. en Gob. p. 35; Giinther, 

 Catal. iii, p. 84). 



B. iv, D. 6 I 22-25, P. 19, Y. 1/5, A. 22-23, C. 13, L. I. 55-60, L. tr. 13. 



Length of head 4^ to 5, of caudal 5 to 5|, height of body 7 to 8 in the total length. Eyes — diameter 

 1/5 to 1/6 of length of head, 1 to IJ tliameters from end of snout, and 1/2 a diameter apart: interorbital space 

 concave. Gi-eatest width of head equals half its length, and its height equals its length behind the eyes. Snout 

 somewhat compressed, jaws of about equal length, cleft of month nearly horizontal : the maxilla reaches to about 

 the length of one or two diameters of the orbit behind the posterior edge of the eye : extent of the gape 1/4 less 

 than that of the cleft. Teeth — 25 to 3U teeth notched at their extremities in the anterior half of the lower jaw 

 on either side : 15 or 20 pointed ones on either side of the premaxillaries extending further backwards than m 

 the mandibles, whilst they are not placed so closely together. Fins — first dorsal higher than the second, and 

 equal from 2/3 to the height of the botly, the membrane of the first dorsal extends to the commencement of the 



