314 ACANTHOPTERTGIl. 



length Ijeliind the middle of the eye, and its height equals half its length. Upper surface of the head flat. Snout 

 elevated. Lower jaw the longer : cleft of mouth very oblique, commencing opposite the upper edge of the eye : 

 the maxilla reaches to below the middle of the orbit. Interorbital space flat. No serrated ridges on the head, 

 nor any preoperciilar spine. Teeth — in numerous villiform rows, very small, and equal sized. Fins — first 

 dorsal spines weak, not produced, equal to two-thii-ds of the height of the body, and nearly as long as the posterior 

 rays of the second dorsal. Pectoral nearly as long as the head, and longer than the ventral. Caudal pointed. 

 Scales — strongly ctenoid behind the" head and base of first dorsal fin, those on the upper surface of the 

 head are nearly as large as those on the body, they extend forwards to the snout, and cover the cheeks 

 and opercles. There are 42 rows anterior to the base of the first dorsal fin, six rows between the orbit, 17 rows 

 between the anterior portitms of the origins of the second dorsal and anal fins, and 15 between their 

 posterior portions. Colours — dark brown, mottled with black : pectoral yellow, with several black bands of 

 spots : first dorsal black, with a white baud along its lower third : second dorsal with six or seven bands of 

 spots : anal with bands of spots : caudal reticulated with black spots, and having a black band at its base : 

 ventral spotted. 



Habitat. — Mangalore, where the sjiccimen figured (life-size) was obtained. 



11. Eleotris lutea. 

 B. vi, D. 6 I \, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. i, C. 15, L. 1. 5U, L. tr. 12. 



Length of head o|, of caudal hh, height of body 4 in the total length. Eyes - diameter 1/4 of length of 

 head, 3/4 of a diameter from end of snout, and also apai-t. Greatest width of head equals its length 

 behind the eyes, and its height equals about the same. Upper surface of head and interorbital space flattened, 

 snout slightly elevated. Lower jaw the longer, cleft of mouth oblique, commencing opposite the upper edge of 

 the eye, the maxilla reaches to below the middle of the orbit. Anterior nostril tabular. A spine directed 

 downwards at the angle of the preopercle. Teeth — in numerous villiform rows, the outer in the upper 

 jaw being rather enlarged, as are also a few anteriorly in the lower jaw, whilst laterally its inner row is likewise 

 enlarged. Fins — first dorsal spines with filamentous terminations extending a short distance beyond the 

 memlsrane, height equals half that of the body, second dorsal highest anteriorly, where it equals 2/3 of that of 

 the body, and is similar to the anal. Pectoral as long as the head without the snout : ventral of similar length. 

 ^ Caudal wedge-shaped. Scales — ctenoid on the body, superiorly they do not extend so far forwards as the eye, 

 whilst there are none on the sides of the bead : 23 rows before the dorsal fin : 12 between the origins 

 of second dorsal and anal, and 10 between their posterior extremities. Colours — of a dirty-grayish, with 

 vertical bands most distinct in the posterior half of the body : many dark spots on head : dorsals and anal with 

 bands of black spots : caudal nearly black, and slightly reticulated. 



This species of Gulius, Bleeker, differs from E. fiisea in the fewer number of scales on the body, 

 scaleless head, and lesser width of interorbital space. 



Habitat. — Andamans. 



12. Eleotris scintillans, Plate LXV, fig. 8. 



Blyth, J. A. S. of Bengal, 18G0, p. 14G; Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 517, and 1870, p. 693. 



B. V, D. 6 I i, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. i C. 13, L.Y 42, L. tr. 15. 



Length of head 3f , of caudal 4^, height of body 4^ in the total length. Eyes — diameter 1/6 of length of 

 head, Ij diameters fi-om end of snout, and also ajiart. Head rather obtuse, flattened superiorly, its greatest 

 width equals its height or its length behind the eyes. Lower jaw the longer. Clett of mouth oblique, 

 commencing anteriorly opposite the iipper third of the eye : the maxilla reaches to below the middle of the 

 orbit. Anterior nostril in a short tube. No spine on preopei-cle. Teetli — villiform, the outer row in the lower 

 jaw somewhat the larger. Fins — first dorsal fin equals about half the height of the body, and terminates only a 

 .short distance anterior to the base of the second dorsal, the posterior rays of which reach to the 

 base of the caudal, and equal 4/5 of the height of the body. Pectoral as long as the head behind the middle of 

 the eyes : ventral I'eaches more than half way to the anal. Caudal rounded. Scales — on body and head 

 excluding the front of the snout and the lower jaw, they are ctenoid except on the head, 34 rows anterior to the 

 base of the first dorsal fin, 15 between the anterior portion of the bases of the second dorsal and 

 anal. Colours — brownish, marbled with darker, and the scales shot with light spots when in a certain position. 

 Both dorsals with about three rows of spots, and a dark edo-e having a light margin. Anal with a dark band 

 in its outer half having a light edge. Caudal dark, with a white edge, sometimes it and the anal are spotted : 

 a dark ocellus at upper part of base of caudal fin. 



This fish belongs to Genus Ophiocara, Bleeker, MSS. It is very closely allied to E. iMrocephalus, of 

 which it may be the young. 



Habitat. — Akyab and the Andamans, the one figured is life-size. 



13. Eleotris litoralis. 

 B. vi, D. 6 I i, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 13, L. 1. 35, L. tr. 11. 



Length of head 3|, of caudal 5, height of body 5 in the total length, i/j^es— diameter 3f in length of 

 head, 3/4 of a diameter from end of snout, and \\ apart. Greatest width of head equals its height or its length 



