1126 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes, [Nov. 



yellowish white, minutely dotted with black, margins and posterior part 

 of the lobes blackish ; pectorals buff, upper margin and posterior half 

 minutely dotted with black ; cavity of the mouth and tongue as in &. 

 sinensis. Iris silvery, orbital half lead grey. 



D 7 or 8—1/39 to 41, C 17f A 5—1/32 to 39, P 23 to 25, Br. VI. 

 Habit. — Sea of Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 

 Coromandel, Bay of Bengal. 



Length of the body, 4 inch. 



,, of the lower caudal lobe, 4 „ 



Total length : 8 inch. 



The length of the head is ^ of the total, measured to the centre of 

 the posterior margin of the caudal. The diameter of the eye is ^ of 

 the length of the head. The muzzle forms a large rounded protube- 

 rance projecting over the mouth. Each jaw has a close series of exces- 

 sively minute teeth. The lateral line is situated as in S. sinensis and 

 argenteus. The scales of the body are small, orbicular and so decidu- 

 ous that the fish generally appears scaleless. The truncated pro- 

 cesses preceding the dorsal and anal fin resemble those of S. argen- 

 teus, from which the present may readily be distinguished by the far 

 greater elongation of the lower lobe of the caudal, and of the falcated 

 point of the anal fin. The falcated point of the dorsal equals the 

 length of the pointed pectorals, which are 2f in the total length. The 

 upper caudal lobe is but ^ of the lower, which equals the length of the 

 body, the caudal not included. The length of the falcated point of 

 the anal fin in some individuals equals the lower caudal lobe, in others 

 it is but § of the latter. The greatest vertical diameter of the body, 

 between the commencement of the dorsal and anal fin, exceeds by \ 

 half the total length. At Pinang this species is as abundant as the 

 preceding, but probably from its inferior size it is considered some- 

 what inferior in quality. At the Sandheads it occurs rarely. 

 Gen. Cyrtus, Block 1787. 



Body compressed ; back greatly elevated with several small tren- 

 chant blades in front of the dorsal ; between the ventrals on the pelvis 

 a horizontal, backwards directed spine ; scales excessively minute, 

 transparent ; ribs dilated, convex, forming rings in contact with each 

 other and producing a conical cavity. 



