SCOMBRESOCIDJE. 419 



B. xiii-xiv. D. 24-26. P. 14. V. 6. A. 25-27. C. 15. 



Length of head 4|, height of body 14 in the total length. Eyes 

 the diameter 2| in postorbital length of head. A wide median 

 groove along the summit of the head ; superciliary region slightly 

 striated longitudinally. Tongue without asperities. Fins the 

 anterior dorsal rays from the second to the fourth produced; the 

 anal commences rather in advance of the dorsal, and is of the 

 same shape ; caudal forked. Free portion of tail somewhat com- 

 pressed. Lateral line not forming a keel. Scales minute. 

 Colour pectoral nearly black externally ; from one to seven large 

 black blotches along the side, which appear to be occasionally absent 

 in females. 



ffab. Red Sea to the Malay Archipelago; attaining at least 

 3| feet in length. 

 t 



533. (2.) Belone annulata. 



Eelone annulata, Cuv. $ Val. H. N. Foiss. xviii, p. 447, fig. 550 ; 



Day, Fish. India, p. 510, pi. cxx, fig. 1 (see synon.). 

 Pahmum kolah, Tamil ; Wahlah Kuddera, Tel. 

 B. xii-xv. D. 22-24. P. 12-15. V. 6. A. 20-22. C. 15. 



Length of head 3f, height of body 13-20 in the total length. 

 Width of body equals its height. Eyes diameter 2J in postorbital 

 length of head, f diam. apart. Interorbital groove broad and 

 shallow, striated along its anterior portion. Teeth strong. 

 Tongue covered with tubercular asperities. Fins dorsal elevated 

 in front, and its middle and last rays also rather elongate. Anal 

 commences very slightly in advance of the dorsal, and is of some- 

 what similar shape. Caudal lobed, lower lobe the longer. Scales 

 thin and small, some present on the preopercle. Free portion 

 of the tail tetrahedral, rather higher than broad. Lateral line 

 forming a badly- developed keel on the side of the free portion of 

 the tail. Colour upper surface of the head and back green, 

 minutely dotted with black, fading into silvery white on the ab- 

 domen. The side of the upper jaw dark olive, of the lower silvery. 

 Cheeks and opercles silvery. Membranes of dorsal, caudal, and 

 pectoral fins light greenish grey, minutely dotted with black, es- 

 pecially at the margins. Anal and ventral white in front, dotted 

 with black. In young specimens the colours vary. 



Hub, Red Sea, seas and estuaries of India, Malay Archipelago, 

 China, and North Australia. Grows to at least 2 feet in length. 



534. (3.) Belone choram. 



Esox belone, Forsk. Descr, Anim. p. 67. 



Belone choram, Riippell, N.W., Fische, p. 72; Day, Fish. India, 

 p. 610, pi. cxviii, fig. 4 (see synon.). 



B. x. D. 22-23. P. 14. V. 6. A. 19-20. C. 18. 



Length of head 31 to 3, height of body 12 to 14 in the total 



2E2 



