68 ACANTHOPTERTGII. 



limb of preopercle regularly and evenly serrated. Opercle with two spines, the lower somewhat the longer. 

 Teei^i— Villiform in jaws, vomer, and palate. J'ms— dorsal spines not very strong, the fifth and sixth the highest 

 and eqaal to half the length of the head : second anal spine slightly shorter hut stronger than the third: caudal 

 forked. CoZows— bluish, becoming silvery-white on the sides and abdomen, soft dorsal greyish-black along its 

 upper third and having a white outer margin : caudal milk-white, with two oblique yellowish-black bands and 

 a narrow central black longitudinal one. 



Young— in a specimen If inches in length, taken at the Andamans, the colour differs from that of 

 the adult ;— body blue, with a narrow black longitudinal band passing from the upper edge of the orbit along 

 the back, nearer to the base of the dorsal fin than the lateral-line, and ending in the lower of the two bands 

 crossing the upper lobe of the caudal fin : a narrow black band runs along the bases of both dorsal fins, whilst 

 each have black tips : the anal has a black mark on the front of its highest portion : caudal with one central 

 band, and two oblique ones across either lobe. . ■ ■ ■< 



RaUtat.—E&st coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond : it attains six inches 

 or more in length. 



Sixth group — Theraponina. 



Branohiostegals six. Opercle spinate : preopercle serrated. Cleft of mouth somewhat oblique. Dorsal 

 fin single, but more or less notched : three anal spines. Air-vessel divided by a constriction into an anterior 

 and posterior portion. 



Genus, 14 — Theeapon,* Ciw. 



Pelates, sp. Cuv.f 



Brcmchiostegals six : pseudolrancMoe. Eyes of moderate size. Opercle with spines. Preopercle and sometimes 

 preorhital serrated. Teeth vilUform in both jaws, the outer row being sometimes the larger: deciduous ones on the 

 vomer and palatines. Dorsal fin single, but more or less notched, having from eleven to thirteen spines : anal with 

 three. Scales of moderate or small size. Air-vessel divided by a constriction. Pyloric appendages few or in 

 moderate numbers. 



Geographical distribution. — ^From the Eed Sea and East coast of Africa through the seas of India to the 

 Malay Archipelago and Australia. These fishes in India are almost strictly marine, but some are occasionally 

 found in brackish water within tidal influence ; and having entered during very high tides, or in the monsoon 

 season, their return to salt water may be cut off, when they live in the brackish or even fresh water ponds until 

 the return of the next spring tide or the succeeding year's monsoon. The T. jarbua is frequently captured in the 

 Hooghly as high as Calcutta. , 



IFses. — Not esteemed as food, as they are reputed to feed on carrion, but they are eaten by the poorest 

 class of natives. 



The colour of these fish is usually silvery, with longitudinal bands, but in some species cross bands are 

 present in the immature. This may especially be noticed in the T. quadrilineatus, whilst in the adult the only 

 remnant existing of such is the black blotch on the shoulder, which originally formed a portion of the first 

 body -band. As might be expected, the serrations and spines about the head vary with age : but it is worthy of 

 special notice, that the sub- and inter-opercles may be serrated in some specimens and yet be entire in others, 

 and this is most apparent in the T. jarbua. The existence of teeth on the vomer and palate appears to be often 

 confined to the immature. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Therapon puta, D. 'Vt^j -^- -a-9' ^- 1- 90-100. Large teeth at preopercular angle. Four straight, 

 longitudinal blackish-brown bands along the body : a dark blotch on the spinous dorsal, and two oblique bands 

 across either caudal lobe. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



2. Therapon jarbua, D. V-tV^i -^^ t-tj ^- 1- 80-90. Serrations at preopercular angle strong, but pretty 

 even. Three longitudinal, convex, reddish-brown bands along the body : a dark blotch on the spinous dorsal : 

 two oblique bands across either caudal lobe. Red Sea, East coast of Africa, seas of India, to the Malay 

 Archipelago and beyond. 



3. Therapon quadrilineatus, D. ^Vs'i-^' j^j !<• 1- ^0. Serrations at preopercular angle strong, but pretty 

 even. Four or five horizontal blackish bands along the body : a black blotch on the spinous dorsal, another on 

 the shoulder : no bands on the caudal. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and China. 



4. Therapon theraps, D. (Jfj-xij , A. f, L. 1. 50-55. Evenly serrated on its preopercular angle. Three or 

 four horizontal blackish-brown bands along the body : two across either caudal lobe. East coast of Africa seas 

 of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



1. Therapon puta, Plate XVIII, fig. 3. 

 Peroa heelputa, Russell, Fish. Vizag. ii, p. 19, pi. 126. 

 Therapon puta, Cuv. and Val. iii, p. 131, Reg. Anim. HI. Poissons, pi. xii, fig. 2 ; Bleeker, Perc. p. 50. 



* 8dbah-za, Mngh. 



t Bleeker divides this genus by adopting the following, with reference to their dentition, a.s sub-genera : 



1. Datma; teeth in jaws conical, entire, and in many rows. 



2. Pelates; teeth in jaws conical, entire, in 3 rows in the upper and 2 in the lower jaw. 



3. Eelotes; teeth in the jaws in many rows, and tricuspidate. 



