FISHES OF BATTICALOA, TRINCOMALEE, AND JAFFNA. 63 



Lethrinus miniatus. — Obtained at Trincomalee. 



Lethrinus ramak. — Obtained at Jaffna. 



Lethrinus, sp. — - Taken at Jaffna. Too young for satisfactory 

 identification. 



Chrysophrys berda. — ^A single specimen was obtained from fisher- 

 men at Batticaloa. 



Amblyapistus macr acanthus. — One specimen was taken in the 

 dredge at Trincomalee. 



Amblyapistus tcenianotus. — A specimen was captured at Jaffna. 



Pelor didactylum. — One specimen was dredged at Js,ffna. 



Teuthis Java. — ^Very common at Batticaloa. Found at Jaffna. 



Teuthis vermiculata. — Common at Batticaloa. 



Teuthis oramin. — Common at Batticaloa and Jaffna. These 

 Teuthidse are among the chief food fishes at Batticaloa. Numbers 

 are caught by means of ingenious wicker traps, the bait being a 

 green flocculent seaweed, on which these fish feed. Various nets 

 are also used to capture them. 



Holocentrum caudimaculatum. — A specimen was obtained at 

 Kayts. 



Acanthurus matoides. — Found at Batticaloa. 



Caranx jarra. — Obtained at Batticaloa. 



Equula edentula. — ^Very common at Batticaloa. This species is 

 captured in large numbers along with Genes, spp., and other small 

 silvery fish. A specimen which was taken at night was highly 

 luminous in the region of the stomach and gills. This fact is pro- 

 bably accounted for by the fish having eaten luminous plankton 

 organisms. 



Batrachus grunniens.^—A pair were dredged in Jaffna lagoon. 



Platycephalus tuberculatus. — Common at Jaffna. 



Pegasus natans. — A specimen of this species was captured at 

 Jaffna. Day does not record tliis species from Indian waters. 



Gobius criniger. — Obtained at Jaffna. 



Gobius cyanomos. — ^Taken at Jaffna. 



Periopthalmus schlosseri. — Common at Batticaloa. 



Petroscirtes variabilis. — ^Very common at Jaffna. 



Petroscirtes lienardi. — ^Found at Jaffna. These Petroscirtes live 

 amongst the large-leafed Zostera, which grows abundantly in the 

 lagoon. 



Mugil oeur. — Common at Batticaloa near the moutli of the lagoon. 

 Fistularia serrata. — ^A specimen of this species was captured in a 

 rock pool at Trincomalee. The peculiarity about it was that it had 

 been seen by a party some evenings before its capture, when it was 

 brilliantly luminous. The rock pool was quite closed against the 

 sea, and depended for its water supply on occasional extra-heavy 

 waves, so that there appears to be no doubt that Fistularia lyis the 

 power of luminosity. The fisli changed its colour repeatedly whilst 

 being chased about, becoming either light greenish gray or dark 



