1849.] Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. 1039 



the spinous ; anal spines extremely small ; strong canines in the upper 

 jaw, and in some also in the lower ; under the symphysis of the latter 

 two very minute pores, or none ; air-vessel in some* with a hornlike, 

 forwards directed process on each side ;f a very large loose bone in each 

 auricular cavity ; branchiostegous rays 7. J 



Otolithus biauritus, Cantor. 



Ikan Salampai, sometimes Jarang gigi, of the Malays. 



Adult. Head above and back greenish grey with golden reflections ; 

 sides golden orange, paler towards abdomen, everywhere minutely dot- 

 ted with brown ; lateral line golden ; dorsal, caudal and anal fins 

 brownish yellow or pale orange, minutely dotted with brown, black 

 towards the margin ; ventrals pale orange ; pectorals brownish with a 

 black spot in axilla, spreading over the basal third of the nine upper 

 rays. Iris golden orange. 



Young. Paler than the adult; abdomen silvery buff; upper half of 

 opercle silvery bluish black ; the spot in the axilla very indistinct or 

 absent. 



(9-1/27 A 



*M 9-1/32,' f C l7i > A 2 ' 7 > V 1/5 ' P 19j Br * VIL 



Habit. — Sea of Pinang, Malayan Peninsula, Singapore, Lancavy. 

 Tenasserim Provinces. 



Total length : 3 feet. 



This fish is of a very elongated cylindrical form, not unlike that of 

 the Genus Ophiocephalus ; the profile of the back and abdomen is 

 nearly horizontal, imperceptibly sloping towards the bluntly pointed 

 muzzle. The length of the head is from A\ to \ of the total ; the depth 

 at occiput exceeds by \ half the length of the head. The eye occupies 

 about the second eight of the length of the head ; the anterior upper 

 half of the orbit borders upon the profile, while the posterior half 

 deviates downwards ; the greatest oblique diameter is \ of the length 



* M. M. Cuvier and Valenciennes add (Hist. Nat. des Poiss. V.) that such is 

 the case in the species dissected by them. 



t In others with numerous lateral branched appendages ; Vide infra Otolithus 

 ruber and the subsequent species. 



J The Malays distinguish the fishes belonging to the Genus Otolithus by the 

 common denomination of Jar any (distant, open), yiyi (tooth). 



G s 



