536 A COLLECTION OF FISHES FROM SUMATRA. 



depth about front of spinous dorsal. Caudal peduncle deep, compressed, and its 

 length about four-fifths of least depth. 



Head elongate, pointed, compressed, and profiles similar though upper a little 

 more oblique. Snout long, convex above, and lip protruding in front. Eye small, 

 with horizontal diameter a trifle longer, high, and its posterior margin near middle 

 of head. Mouth small, horizontal, jaws equal, and corner extending about oppo- 

 site posterior nostril. Preorbital broad, concealing end of maxillary. Lips broad, 

 fleshy, and with their inner surfaces plicate. Teeth conic, pointed, uniserial, 

 and with four canines in front of each jaw. Each side of upper jaw posteriorly 

 with a canine. Tongue a little broad, rounded, free in front, and depressed or flat- 

 tened above. Nostrils well separated, near upper margin of eye anteriorly, and 

 anterior with a small cutaneous rim. Interorbital space elevated a little convexly. 

 Opercle with a rather large cutaneous flajj. 



Gill-opening extending forward about opposite posterior margin of orbit. Gill- 

 rakers 7 + 9 ? short weak points. Filaments less than eye and pseudobranchiae 

 much smaller. Isthmus broad and membrane forming but a narrow fold across. 



Scales rather large, cycloid, becoming smaller on occiput, chest, at base of pec- 

 toral and on basal portion of caudal. Fins and head otherwise without scales. 

 Lateral line concurrent with dorsal profile till below last dorsal rays, then sloping 

 down and extending along middle of side of caudal peduncle to base of caudal. 

 Tubes mostly with one or two bifurcations. 



Origin of spinous dorsal about opposite that of pectoral, spines pungent, more 

 or less o;raduated to the last which is longest, and margin of fin entire. Soft dor- 

 sal a little higher, origin of fin a little nearer eye than base of caudal, edge entire, 

 and anterior rays longest. Origin of spinous anal about opposite origin of soft dor- 

 sal, spines pungent and third longest. Anterior anal rays longest, and membrane 

 along margin of fin entire. Caudal with a convex margin when expanded, and 

 edges of fin rounded. Pectoral broad, upper rays longest and not reaching opposite 

 anus. Ventral inserted nearly opposite origin of pectoral, pointed, first ray longest, 

 and not reaching tip of pectoral. Ventral spine slender, pungent, and nearly 

 equal to three-fifths length of fin. Anus nearly midway between tip of ventral and 

 origin of anal fin. 



Color in arrack pale brownish-white, fins a little lighter than trunk. Five 

 large deep brownish-dusky blotches along upper side of back. A broad brown band 

 from opercular flap to base of caudal, more or less unevenly margined above and 

 below with spots or flakes of pearly, and marked also with six large deep blackish 

 or dusky-brown blotches, third and fourth of which are more or less confluent, not 

 only with themselves but also with those on back above. Almost all of scales, 

 especially those of darker hue, marked with paler centers. Pearly flakes or streaks 

 on lower surface of body pronounced. Top of head with bluish streaks or short 

 blotches. A bluish streak extends down from upper side of head towards eye. A 

 broad bluish band from eye to corner of mouth, another below first toward lower 

 margin of eye, another broader back across opercle then down to edge of gill-open- 



