1112 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. [Nov. 



dorsal, i9 rather strong, with the point free. The arched portion of the 

 lateral line terminates opposite the fifth ray of the second ; the straight 

 portion is covered by about 36 or 37 slightly pointed plates, none of 

 which exceeds ^\ of the greatest diameter of the body. The length 

 of the falcated pectorals is 3|, that of the ventrals is A\ in the total. 

 The length of the ventral spine is 1\ in the nearest ray. The point of 

 the second dorsal and anal fin is 3^ in the greatest vertical diameter of 

 the body. Behind the eyes appear some indistinct scales ; the cranial 

 crest, the rest of the head and the thorax are scaleless ; the rest of 

 the body is covered by small orbicular, somewhat deciduous scales. 



This species is at all times excessively numerous in the Straits of 

 Malacca and the Bay of Bengal. The natives eat it in its fresh and 

 dried state. 



Caranx atropus, (Bloch-Schneider). 



Brama atropus, Bloch-Schneider, 98, PI. 23. 



Olistus atropus, Cuv. and Val. IX. 141. 



D 8—1/21, C 17f, A 2—1/17, V 1/5, P 19, Br. VII. 



Habit. — Sea of Pinang. 

 Tranquebar. 



Total, length : 7| inch. 



In proportions, number of fin rays and colours this fish exactly 

 resembles Caranx nigripes, from which it merely differs in having the 

 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th rays of the second dorsal 

 longer than the rest, and the elongated part not connected by the 

 membrane. The 8th and 9th are the longest, each being about 2\ in 

 the greatest vertical diameter of the body. All the elongated rays, 

 although filamentous, are distinctly branched, which consequently 

 excludes the fish from the genus Olisthus.* The elongated part, as 

 well as the half of the membrane in front of each ray, is minutely 

 dotted with black. However erroneous Bloch's description and figure 

 of Brama atropus may be, there seems to be no reason to doubt that 

 a specimen of the present fish was his original. M. M. Cuvier and 

 Valenciennes observe that the specimen now extant, marked by 

 Bloch : Brama atropus, (his specimen of Caranx nigripes is labeled : 



* Olisthus, Cuv. (R. A. 1829.) Differs from Caranx, (Citula) in having the 

 middle rays of the second dorsal not branched, but merely articulated, and each 

 elongated into a filament. 



