18. PLATAX. 489 



18. PLATAX*. 



Platax, Ctiv. fy Val. vii. p. 213. 



Body much compressed and elevated; snout very short. One 

 dorsal, with the spinous portion nearly entirely hidden, and generally 

 formed by five (3-7) spines ; the anal with three ; ventrals well de- 

 veloped, with one spine and five rays. Teeth setiform, with an ex- 

 ternal series of rather larger ones, notched at the top ; no teeth on 

 the palate. Scales of moderate size, or rather small. Six branchio- 

 stegals ; air-bladder simple. 



All the Indian Seas. 



The fishes which compose this genus appear to be subject to con- 

 siderable change in the form of the fins, and in colour, according to 

 age ; and therefore the following species can scarcely be considered 

 as good ones : even Bleeker, who has collected these fishes in theu- 

 native seas, acknowledges the difficulty of distinguishing them with- 

 out examining a large number of specimens. Of the fourteen species 

 established or adopted by Cuvier, at least one half are merely nominal 

 ones, — a not uncommon occurrence in his great work. Platax sca- 

 laris belongs to the PharyngognatM, as does likewise Plataxoides, 

 Casteki. 



1. Platax vespertilio. 



Valent. no. 62 ; Renard, pi. 24. f. 129 ; Stba, iii. 25. 15. 



Chjetodon vespertilio, Bl. tab. 199. f . 2 ; L. Gm.-p. 1257; Bl. Schu. 



p. 228 ; Shcm, Zool. iv. p. 344 ; Bennett, Ceylon Fishes, pi. 5. 

 ? Chifitodon pinnatiis, L. Mus. Ad. Frid. pi. 33. f. 6 ; i. Gm. p. 1241. 

 Platax vespertilio, Cuv. Regne Anim. ; RUpp. Atl. p. 143, and N. W. 



Fische, p. 33 ; Cantm; Catal. p. 166 ; Peters in Wiemn. Arch. 1855, 



p. 247. ' 



gaimardi, Cuv. 8f Val. vii. p. 216. 



guttulatus, Cuv. Sf Val. vii. p. 227. pi. 186 (young). 



albipunctatus, Riipp. Atl. Fische, p. 69. t. 18. f. 4 (young). 



blocbii, Cuv. 8f Val. vii. p. 222 ; Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen. xxiii. 



Chatod. p. 27. 

 ebrenbergii, Cuv. 8f Val. vii. p. 221 ; RUpp. N. W. Fische, p. 33 ; 



Richards. I. c. p. 245 ; Cuv. R^gne Anim. III. Poiss. pi. 42. f. 1. 



D-3l^7- ^•2l^s- L-lat.64. 



The height of the body is more than its length (without fins) ; 

 snout entirely obtuse, not prominent. Dorsal and anal fins elevated ; 

 the ventrals extending nearly to the middle of the anal fin. Ventrals 

 black ; a brown ocular band, reticulated with black. 



From the eastern coasts of Africa, through all the East Indian 

 Seas. 



a. Five inches long. From the Collection of the Zoological Society. 



* 1. Platax pimctulahis, Cuv. 8( Val. vii. p. 228. pi. 186.— Timor. 



2. gambret, Bleeker, Verhand. Bafciv. Gcnoofach. xxiii. Chietod. p. 29, 



and Java, i. p. 105.^Scas of Batavia and Madura. 

 Platax ocellatus, Cuv. S^- Val.. Cant., is identical with Chtetodon oli'^a- 

 eanthus, Blcck. p. 34. 



