8 ACANTHOPTERTail. 



second spine is 3/4 as long as tie third, but at 20 inches it is not above 1/4 so long : pectoral shorter than 

 ventral, and rounded : caudal fan-shaped. Air vessel— thin, but famishes a good isinglass. Colours— grej, with 

 a dash of green along the back, and silvery on the abdomen : during the monsoon tune it has a tinge of purple. 

 The immature are usually darker than the adults. t> w ; 



Having examined Bloch's typical specimen still at Berlin, I find .that it has as he sta,tes D. 7/t\,. 



Deformities in this fish are by no means rare. In one case the last few dorsal rays were deflected to the 

 left side of the free portion of the tail, and had there become continuous at their bases with the anal spines, 

 which were likewise inserted along the same portion of the fish, whilst the anal rays were in their natural position. 



It is very remarkable how in fishes which have died and stiffened with their mouths open, and the oprcles 

 and branchial rays distended, the , appearance of the head becomes much changed, whilst it is difficult, or impos- 

 sible to subsequently bring them back to their normal shape. Thus the profile of the head becomes more 

 horizontal, whilst the posterior extremity of the maxilla does not reach so far back as when the mouth had been 

 naturally closed. 



Habitat.— Seas, backwaters, and moi?.ths of tidal rivers in the East, up which last it often ascends long 

 distances to prey upon its weaker neighbours. It is excellent eating when from the vicinity of large rivers. It 

 salts weU, and from it some of the best ' Tamarind-fish' is prepared.* 



Second group — Serranina.t 

 Fonn of body .-oblong, sometimes elevated. Opercjes serrated or armed. Cleft of mouth rather oblique. 

 One, or more rarely two, dorsaj fins. 



Genus, 2 — Ceomileptes, Swains. 



SerranicMhys, Bledier : Lioperca, Gill. 



BrancMostegals seiverb:: ps&udohroMchice. Body oUong, compressed. Eyes lateral, of moderate size. Preopercle 

 with its vertical limb finely serrated, its horizontal one entire. Opercle with two or three spines. Teeth fine in the 

 jaws, vomer, and palate, no camnnes : internal row in maxilla npt fixed. Dorsal fin, elevated, hamvng ten or eleven 

 spines, anal with three: coMdal rownded. Scales small, cycloid. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 

 1. Oromileptes altimelis, D. ii:H> ^- t-t-q. ^- i:- W- Upper profile of head concave. Covered with 

 widely separated, black, white-edged spots. Seas of India to Ohiaa and beyond. 



The abQve fish appare)itly belongs -to the group Eercina and may be a Lates. It is from a fignre amongst the beautiful 

 .coUectioji of coloured drawings made on the Coromandel coast of India by native artists, under the immediate supervision of Sir Walter 

 Elliot, K.S.I, of the Madras Civil Service, who has most liberally placed the whole of them at my disposal for the purpose of this work. 

 I have had it engraved in order to direct the attention of inquirers in India to it. 



t Bleeker (Eevis. des esp6c. Ind-Arch. du gronpe des Epinephelini, 1873) divides the Epinephelini (Serranini, pt.) as follows: — 

 I. Dorsal fin single or but slightly notclied. Jaws and opercles scaled. Caudal fin with. 15 divided rajrs. 



A. Forehead, snout and suborbitals scaleless. Jaws with canines, which in the mandibles are both 

 anterior and lateral. 



1. Paraserrcmus, Blkr. Mandible scaleless. Inner row of teeth immoveable. Preopercle with a spine directed backwards. 

 Dorsal with 10 spines; dorsal and anal scaleless. Scales of moderate sice, ctenoid. 



2. Variola, Sv!&ins.'=Fseudoserr(m'us, K\miz. Mandible scaleless. Inner row of teeth moveable. Preopercle feebly serrate^, 

 without any spine. Dorsal with 9 spines : dorsal and anal scaled. Scales very small, ctenoid. 



3. PoA-accmihistms, Gill=Blectropoma, Gill (Cuv. and Yal. ex. parte). Mandible scaled. Inner row of teeth moveable. 

 Preopercle vrith i);s lower edge denticulated, the denticulations directed anteriorly. Dorsal with from 6 to 13 spines: dorsal and anal fins 

 with scaly bases. Scales very small, ctenoid in the immature. 



B. Forehead and lower ^w scaled. Inner row of teeth in the jaws moveable : mandibles with(»it lateral 

 canines^ Dorsal and anal fins sealed. Scales small. 



■1. Epmepfiehis, 'Bloc'b.=Cephalopholis,'Bl,Schn.; La^rojierca,Mycteroper(M,BoeUimMS,Ermeaceritrws,PeWonwtop<m,Prorniarops, 

 Schistoms, and Menephorus, GUI ; Prospirms, Poey; PriacwnthicMhys, Day. Teeth on ivomer, and palate : canines in the prenmxillaries. 

 iPorsal with 9 to U spines. Scales ctenoid or cycWd. 



2. OroTmpeltes, Swains.==S6rr(imcM%s,, Blkr. ; iioperco, Gill. Teeth on vomer, and palate: no canines in thejaws. Dorsal 

 with 10 or 11 spines. Profile anteriorly concave. Scales cycloid. 



3. .4njr3?ero(Zop,,Gunther^Gema, Bp.? Palate edent|Ulone : no canines in the mandibles. Dorsal with 11 spines. Scales 

 ctenoid. 



