514 TELEOSTEI. ACANTllOlTEKTOir. 



17. Genus DIAGRAMMA, Cuv. 

 Syn. Plectorhynchus, pt., Lace"p. 



Branchiostegais six or seven ; pseudobranchiac. Body oblong, 

 compressed, with the upper profile of the head very convex. Eyes 

 moderate. Mouth small, slightly protractile ; lips thick and folded 

 back. Preopercle serrated ; suborbitals entire. Four or six open 

 pores on the under surface of the lower ja\v, but no median groove. 

 Teeth in jaws villiform, without canines ; palate edentulous. One 

 dorsal fin more or less receivable into a groove along its base, 

 having from nine to fourteen spines ; anal with three. Scales 

 ctenoid, usually small. Air-bladder simple, destitute of any con- 

 striction. Pyloric appendages few. 



Geographical Distribution. From the Eed Sea and east coast of 

 Africa, through the seas of India to the Pacific. These fishes are 

 much more abundant off Sind and Bombay than they are on the 

 Malabar or Coromandel coasts of India. 



Uses. Generally not in much esteem as food, but some are good 

 eating. 



The species forming this genus are subject to considerable varia- 

 tions in the number of dorsal rays, whilst a spirie more or less 

 may exist. The colour, too, varies almost as widely as amongst 

 the Serrani. The form of the caudal fin often varies considerably 

 in the same species, and this does not appear to be simply due to 

 age. 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 



Dorsal with 14 spines 1. D. crassispinum, p. 514. 



D. 12-13/18-20, L. tr. 13/24. Longitudi- 

 nally banded 2. D. lineatum, p. 515. 



D. 12-13/17-19, L. tr. 11/30. Longitudi- 

 nally banded 3. D. cuvieri, p. 516. 



D. 13/17-18, L. tr. 13/25. Longitudinal 

 bands, or rows of spots, or upper half 

 dark with large white spots 4. D. orientale, p. 51(5. 



D. 12/16-17, L. tr. 14-20. Upper parts and 



vertical fins spotted 5. D. cinctum, p. 517. 



D. 11-12/18-21, L. tr. 13/26. Uniform grey, 



fins blackish 6. D. griseum, p. 517. 



D. 9-10/22-23. Longitudinally banded, 



caudal rounded 7. D. pictnm, p. 518. 



D. 9-10/22-25. Yellow spots throughout, 



caudal emarginate 8. D. jnmctatum, p. 518. 



D. 12/19, L. tr. 16-17/31-32. Black above, 



with 4 large light blotches 9. D. picoides, p. 519. 



683. (1.) Diagramma crassispinum. 



Diagramina crassispinum, Hiippell, N. W., Fisclie, p. 125, t. 30, fig. 4; 



Day, Fish. India, p. 78, pi. xx, fig. 4 (see synon.). 

 Taivooloo jrinnel, Tamil. 

 B.vii.D.14/15-16. P.17. A. 3/7. L.I. 50-60. L.tr. 10/17. Csec.pyl.6. 



