116 ACANTHOPTERYGn. 



rays, which, as well as those of the cmal, are receivable into a groove at their hoses : interspinous membrane deeply 

 notched : pectoral long and falciform. Scales of moderate size. Air-vessel posteriorly prolonged into two horns. 

 Pyloric appendages few. 



Geographical distribution. — Red Sea, tLroughout those of India, and beyond. 



SYNOPSIS OP mDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 

 1. Drepane pundaia, D. aflfa-, A. Tg^Ya- Silveiy, with or witkout vertical bands and black spots. 



1. Drepane punctata, Plate XXIX, fig. 5. 



Chcetodon punctatus, Gmel. Linn. p. 1243; Bl. Schn. p. 231 ; Shaw. Zool. iv, p. 365. 



Chcetodon longimanus, Bl. Schn. p. 229. 



Chcetodon falcatus, Lacep. iv, pp. 452, 470. 



Chcetodon latte, Russell, Pish. Vizag. i, p. 62, pi. 79. 



Chcetodon terla, A and B, Russell, 1. c. i, pp. 63, 64, fig. 80, 81. 



Ephippus punctatus et longvmanus, Cuv. Reg. Anim. ii, 191. 



Brepame punctata, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 132, pi. 179 ; Swainson, ii, 213; Dampier, Voy. Xew Holland, ii, 

 pi. 4 ; Richards. Ich. China, p. 244, and Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist, x, 1842, p. 28 ; Bleeker, Verb. Bat. Gen. 

 xxii, p. 5 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 62, and Fische d. Sudsee, p. 55 ; Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 36 ; Kner, Novara 

 Pische, p. 107. 



Brepame longimana, Cuv. and Yal. vii, p. 133 ; Richards. 1. c. p. 245 ; Bleeker, Verb. Bat. Gen. xxiii, 

 Chffitod. p. 23. 



Harpochirus punctatus et longimanus. Cantor, Catal. pp. 162, 163. 



Gryptosmilia luna. Cope, Trans. Am . Phil. Soc. sdii, p. 401. 



Funnur, Sind. ; Shuk, Belooch. ; Pundthee, Mai. ; Pulli or Torriti, Tam. ; Thetti, Tel. ; Boopi-chanda, 

 Chittag. ; Shengtia-roet, Arrak. ; Nga-shengna, Burm. 



B. vi, D. ^:|^, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. ^^^, C. 15, L. 1. 50-56, L. r. f§;f|, L. tr. 14/33, Case. pyl. 2-3. 



Length of head from 4/13 to 1/4, of pectoral 1/2, of caudal 1/4 to 1/5, height of body 2/3 to 3/4 of the 

 total length. Eyes — diameter from 3/7 to 1/3 of the length of head, 1 to IJ diameters from end of snout, and 

 2/3 to 3/4 of a diameter apart. Dorsal profile considerably elevated, the abdominal much less curved. 

 Mouth small, the masdlla extends to below the first third of the orbit. Preorbital high, its depth generally 

 exceeding the diameter of the eye. Preopercle with a few serrations on its lower limb : sub- and inter-opercles 

 entire. 



In young specimens the upper edge of the orbit and the upper edge of the occipital process are serrated, 

 whilst there exist about eight strong teeth along the horizontal limb of the preopercle. In a very young 

 specimen (1|- inches long), in addition to the foregoing, an elevated roughened ridge passes fixDm the upper 

 hind edge of the orbit to the lateral-line. 



Fins — dorsal spines strong, and considerable differences are perceptible, in a young individual (at 1^ 

 inches long), the last six are of equal height. Should there be nine dorsal spines, the fourth is the longest in 

 the adult ; if only eight then the third : this spine equals the length of head behind the middle or front edge of 

 the eye : interspinous membrane deeply notched, and the rays longer than the spines : pectoral sometimes 

 reaching to the base of the caudal : second anal spine the strongest and generally the longest : caudal with its 

 central rays slightly produced. Colours — silvery, having a gloss of gold and tinge of purple, with or without 

 vertical bands and black spots : edges of the fins stained wili grey, and a similar band along the middle of the 

 dorsal. 



The D. punctata has been considered a distinct species, and it may be that such an opinion is correct.* 

 At 4J inches in length is the earliest age at which I have seen distinct spots existing on the vertical body bands. 

 Out of twelve specimens of this variety, and in which every individual is distinctly spotted, nine dorsal spines 

 invariably exist, as given by Russell, and in Cuv. and Val. vii, pi. 179. 



In D. longimana, the black spots are absent, and out of eleven specimens examined, eight had only eight 

 dorsal spines, the number given by Russell, whilst the horizontal one before the dorsal fin was as a rule more 

 apparent than in the other variety : in some of the remaining three the spots may have disappeared. 



In the very young the fish are covered all over with minute dark spots giving them a grey appearance. 



Jerdon observes that D. punctata is termed Pooli tarate, and B. longimana, Sipu tarate M J L and S 

 1851, p. 134. 



Sdbitai. — ^Red Sea, East coast of Africa, seas of India to Australia, attaining at least 15 inches in 

 length, and in most places esteemed as food. 



Genus, 9 — Toxotes, Guv. 

 Bramchiostegals seven : pseudobrcmchice. Body oblong, compressed, bach depressed. Eyes of moderaie size. 

 Snout rather produced; lower jaw the longer. Villiform tedJi on jaws, vomsr, and palatine bones. A single dorsal 



been 



• "Except the colonts. no external character can be assigned to distinguish the two species, but anatomical differences have 

 pointed out by M. M. Cut. and Val."— Cantor, I. c. 



