18. PLATAX. 489 



18. PLATAX*. 

 PUt&x, Cm. Hf Val. vii. p. 213. 



Body much compressed and elevated; snout very short. One 

 dorsal, with the spinous portionnearly entirely hidden, and generally 

 formed by five (3-7) spines ; th e 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 smaU. 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 their 

 native seas, acknowledges the diflSculty of distinguishing tnem with- 

 out examining a large nximber 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 scu- 

 laris belongs to the Pharyngognathi, as does likewise Plataxoides, 

 Casteln. 



1. Platax vespertilio. 



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



Chaetodon vespertilio, Bl. tab. 199. f. 2 ; L. Gm. p. 1257 ; Bl Schn. 



p. 228 ; Shaw, Zool. Iv. p. 344 ; Bennett, Ceylon Fishes, pi. 6. 

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

 Platax vespertilio, Cuv. Mhgne Anim. ; Riipp. Atl.ja. 143, and N. W. 



Fische, p. 33 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 166 ; Peters in TViegm. Arch. 1855, 



p. 247. 



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



guttulatus, Cuv. 8f Val. vii. p. 227. pi. 186 (young), 



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



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



Chatod. p. 27. 

 ehxenbergii, Cuv. Sf Val. vii. p. 221 ; Riipp. N. W. Fische, p. 33 ; 



Richards. I. c. p. 245 ; Cuv. Rbgne Anim. III. Poiss. pi. 42. f. 1. 



I>-3-rF7- A- 2-6^8- 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 punctulatufl, Cuv. ^ Val. vii. p. 228. pi. 186. — Timor. 



2. gambret, Bleeker, Verhand. Batav. Genootsch. xxiii. Chmtod. p. 29, 



and Java, i. p. 105. — Seas of Batavia and Madura. 



Platax ocellatus, Cuv. (^ Val., Cant., is identical with Ohaetodon oliga- 

 canthus, Bleek. p. 34. 



» 



