1086 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. [Oct. 



Habit. — Sea of Pinang. 

 Red Sea. 



Total length : 3£ inch. 



The length of the head is 3f in the total, measured to the centre of 

 the posterior margin of the caudal. On each side of the flattened 

 vertex, where the opercle joins, appears a longitudinal furrow contain- 

 ing two or three pores. Three or four such appear on the infraorbitals, 

 several beneath the nostrils, and three beneath each branch of the 

 *ower jaw. The diameter of the eye is 2} in the length of the head. 

 At the lower part of the ascending margin of the preopercle, near the 

 angle, is a deep incision. In both jaws, on the vomer, palatals and 

 pterygoids appear bands of velvety teeth. The vertical diameter at the 

 ventrals is 5} in the total length. The anterior dorsal fin commences 

 a little behind the centre of the back ; the four first rays are placed 

 close together ; the fifth is somewhat removed from the fourth. The 

 body is covered with seven longitudinal series of rather large scales ; 

 the third series from above carries the lateral line, which consists of a 

 minute notch on the posterior margin of each scale. The anterior 7 

 or 8 scales of the series appear to have no such notch, so that the 

 lateral line appears to commence on the ninth scale. The pectorals 

 are triangular, a little downwards pointed ; their length slightly exceeds 

 \ of the total length. The last ray of the second dorsal, and of the 

 anal fin is a little elongated. Two individuals observed at Pinang in 

 July 1843 and April 1845, differ from Dr. Riippell's description in 

 having five instead of six spines in the anterior dorsal fin. The smaller, 

 2f inches in length, is of a more elongated form, its vertical diameter 

 at the ventrals being ^ of the total length. It is also distinguished by 

 having on the vertex a small raised triangular space, resembling an 

 escutcheon, with the point between the orbits. The latter ( f ecusson'), 

 is described by M. M. Cuvier and Valenciennes as a character distin- 

 guishing Atherina lacunosa, Forster. As both individuals examined 

 at Pinang present similar pores, and the characteristic incision of the 

 margin of the preopercle, neither of which characters are noted in the 

 description of A. lacunosa, their identity with A.forskali cannot be 

 doubted. 



