1849.] Catalogue of Malayan Fishes, 1051 



membrane without dots ; membrane of dorsal rays, caudal and ana 1 

 yellowish white, minutely dotted with brown and black, their marginal 

 portion blackish ; pectorals and ventrals whitish, the latter dotted 

 with black, particularly towards the margin. Iris silvery, dotted with 

 black ; upper orbital half bluish black. 



D 10—1/23, C 17|, A 2/7, V 1/5, P 19, Br. VII. 



Habit. — Sea of Pinang. 



Total length : 5 inch. 



The length of the head is 4J in the total, its vertical diameter at the 

 occiput f of the length. The oblique diameter of the eye is '6\ in th e 

 length of the head ; the distance from the muzzle is less than the 

 oblique diameter. The vertical diameter in front of the dorsal fin 

 equals the length of the head. The distance from the orbit, across the 

 infraorbitals, exceeds \ of the diameter of the eye. This character may 

 serve at once to distinguish a very closely allied species : Johnius 

 vhaptis* (Buchan. Ham.), in which the breadth of the infraorbitals is 

 much less. The anterior teeth of the external series of the upper jaw 

 are rather long and closely set ; the rest are scarcely longer than the ra- 

 ther broad internal series of velvety teeth. Under the symphysis of the 

 lower jaw appear five pores. The lower part of the rounded margin of 

 the preopercle is distinctly and distantly toothed. The opercle termi- 

 nates in two flat spines. The lateral line is distinct ; on each scale ap- 

 pears a small longitudinal tube, from whence proceed an upper and 

 lower oblique process. Most of the scales of the sides have each a 

 central oblique line. The second anal spine is rather strong, longitu- 

 dinally radiated, and § of the length of the first ray. The caudal fin is 

 rhomboidal somewhat rounded at the point. From the defective de- 

 scriptions of Johnius maculatus, it is impossible to determine if the 

 present is specifically distinct or a variety. A single individual was ob- 

 served in 1844 at Pinang. The form of the air-vessel and the number 

 of the lateral appendages resemble those of Johnius belengeri. 



Sub-Gen. Corvina, Cuvier, 1829. 

 Differs from Johnius by the comparatively greater size of the second 

 anal spine, the length of which nearly equals that of the first anal ray. 



* Syn. Bola chaptis, Buch Ham. 77, 368, PI. 10, Fig. 25.— Corvina chap- 

 tie, Cuvier and Valenciennes, V. 130. 



