1849.] Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. 1 1 23 



brown dots of different sizes : the larger with a silvery point in the 

 centre. 



Adult. Head above, back and sides to the lateral line deep neutral 

 tint ; rest of the body with a mixture of brownish grey with metallic 

 reflection, lighter, silvery towards abdomen ; everywhere dotted as the 

 young ; large patches of milkwhite naked skin, where the scales have 

 disappeared ; fins silvery grey, marginal half blackish ; cavity of the 

 mouth and tongue pale bluish grey with brown dots, silvery in the centre. 

 Iris reddish silvery or copper-coloured, minutely dotted with brown. 



D 1/43 to 46, C 17f, A 1/39 to 42, P 26 or 27, Br. VI. 



Habit. — Sea of Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 



Coromandel, Bay of Bengal, Macao, Chusan. 



Total length : 10 inch. 



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

 the posterior margin of the caudal. The diameter of the eye is a little 

 less than \ of the length of the head. The lower jaw projects a little 

 beyond the upper : in both appears a single close series of excessively 

 minute teeth. The thread-like lateral line, at the upper fifth of the 

 body, follows the outline of the back to the termination of the dorsal 

 fin, from whence it proceeds straight, along the upper third of the tail 

 to the caudal. The scales of the body are small, orbicular and so 

 deciduous that the fish generally appears with large patches of milk- 

 white naked skin. The greatest vertical diameter of the body, from 

 the middle of the point of the dorsal to that of the anal fin, exceeds by 

 \ half the total length. The pectorals are broad, pointed but not 

 falcated, and project from the body ; their length is Z\ in the total. 

 The length of the broad triangular caudal lobes equals that of the head. 

 Both the dorsal and anal fin are preceded by four spines completely 

 hidden by the integuments. As in Stromateus fatola, Linne, and in 

 £. argenteus, Bloch, the fleshy oesophagus is armed with numerous 

 bony, barbed, spines or teeth. In the stomach of those examined ap- 

 peared remains of fishes. This is par excellence the " white pomf ret" 

 of the Straits Settlements and Madras, " pample blanche" of Pondi- 

 cherry. It is justly renowned for its flavour, but it requires to be 

 freshly taken when used. In the Straits and on the Coromandel Coast 

 it is abundant at all seasons. At the Sandheads in the Bay of Bengal, 

 (21° N. L.) it occurs, but less numerously. Russell happened seldom 



