298 SCOMBRESOCIDiE. 



44. Exocoetus nigripinnis. 



Cuv. c^- Val. xix. p. 108; Cant. 3fnl. Fish. p. 2o0; Bleek. Act. Soc. Sc. 

 Indo-Nederl. ii. Amboina viii. p. 80 ; aud Ned, Tydschr. Dierk. iii. 

 p. 120. ^ ^ 



D. 10-11. A. 10-12. L. lat. 48-50. 



The height of the body is one-sixth or a little less than one-sixth 

 of the total length (without caudal), the length of the head two- 

 ninths. The depth of the head equals the distance between the 

 extremity of the snout and the hind margin of the pnieoperculum. 

 Snout obtuse and very short, scarcely more than half the length of 

 the diameter of the eye, which is two-fifths of the length of the head 

 and is less than the width of the interorbital space, which is con- 

 cave. The pectoral fin extends to the end of the dorsal or to the 

 root of the caudal. Ventral fin midway between eye and root of the 

 caudal, extending nearly to the end of the tail. The dorsal com- 

 mences above the origin of the anal, its anterior rays being more 

 than half as long as the head. There are twenty-nine scales between 

 the occiput and the origin of the dorsal, and six longitudinal series of 

 scales between the origin of the dorsal and the lateral line. Pectoral 

 and ventral fins black. 



Indian and Australian seas. 



a. Two and a half' inches long. Pinang^ From Dr. Cantor's Col- 



lection. 



b. Two and a half inches long : skin. Pinang. From Dr. Cantor's 



Collection. 



c. Three and a half inches long. Swan River. 



d. Three inches long. Purchased of Mr. Stevens. 



All the specimens which have been named E. nigripinnis by various 

 authors are small ; the largest I have seen is five inches long. It is 

 not improbable that they are merely the young of some other species. 



