2. 



ACANTHURUS VITTATUS. 



Order, Thoracic. 



Native Name, ^trcAj Seweyah. 



A. vittatus. Armed near the caudal fin with a sharp curved spine. 



Body striated. 



Branchiostegous rays 3. Dorsal 35, ten spinous. Pectoral 15. Ventral 6, 

 one spinous. Anal 28, two spinous. Caudal 16. 



The Seweyah is an extremely scarce fish on the southern coast of 

 Ceylon : inhabits rocky situations, and is not in request but for the 

 gratification of the Naturalist. It seldom exceeds sixteen or seven- 

 teen inches in length, and is well armed near the caudal fin with a 

 sharp curved spine, which it raises or depresses at pleasure : the 

 former is the case when the animal is in a state of excitement or 

 rage. The spine, when depressed, is scarcely visible within the 

 scabbard which Nature has assigned it, resembling in appearance 

 a recent incision. 



For the present figure, six or seven specimens were procured, no 

 two of which were alike in the arrangement of the blue and yellow 

 streaks near the caudal fin. 



No lateral line visible to the naked eye. 



Figure — Nearly the natural size of the Specimen. 



