SCOPELIDJE. 411 



7/o6. From the Eed Sea through the seas of India to the Malay 

 Archipelago, China and Japan. As food this fish is rather dry 

 and insipid. It attains at least a foot in length. 



Fig. ISl.Sattrida fumbil. 



524. (2.) Sanrida nebulosa. 



Saurida nebulosa (Solandtr), Cuv. $ Val. H. N. Pom. xxii, p. 506 ; 

 Day, Fish. India, p. 505 (see synon.). 



B. xii-xiii. D. 10-11/0. P. 12-13. A. 9-10. L. 1. 50-52. L. tr. 3^/6. 



Length of head 4f to 5J , height of body 6 to 9 in the total 

 length. Eyes diameter 4 to 5^ in the length of the head, rather 

 above 1 diameter from end of snout, and | to 1 diameter apart. 

 Fins dorsal higher than long. Pectoral reaches to the ninth 

 scale of the lateral line. Ventral as long as the head excluding 

 the snout. Scales forming a slight ridge in the last portion of 

 the lateral line. Colour brownish, becoming lighter below; a 

 series of bars or blotches along the middle of the sides ; fins 

 barred. 



JJab. From the Red Sea, Madagascar, Zanzibar, and Mauritius, 

 through the seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



3. Genus HARPODON, Lesueur. 



Syn. Triurus, Swainson ; Sauridichthys, Bleeker. 



Branchiostegals 2325. Gill-openings wide. Bodv elongate 

 and compressed. Eyes small. Snout short, bones of head soft 

 and partly modified into wide muciferous channels. Cleft of mouth 

 deep ; margin of upper jaw formed by the premaxillaries, which 

 are thin and tapering ; maxillaries absent. Teeth cardiform, re- 

 curved, and of unequal size, the largest being on the mandibles and 

 barbed. Teeth on the preinaxillaries, mandibles, palatines, tin.; 

 tongue and hyoid bone, those on the palatines are large and can 

 be laid downwards. Dorsal fin in the middle of the body; adipose 

 fin small. Anal of moderate length. Caudal trilobed. Scales 

 thin and deciduous, none on the anterior portion of the body. 

 Air-bladder absent. Pyloric appendages 16. 



