1849.] Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. 1 1 39 



The outline of the much compressed body is broad oval, deeply 

 emarginated behind by the three vertical fins ; the profile descends 

 nearly straight from the dorsal fin to the narrow, slightly elongated muz- 

 zle. The greatest vertical diameter of the body, taken from the root of 

 the 7th dorsal spine, is \ of the total length. The length of the head, 

 nearly equalling the height at the occiput, is about % of the total 

 length ; the eye is situated a little above the centre of the longitudinal 

 diameter, but in the centre of the greatest vertical diameter of the head ; 

 its diameter is \ of the length of the head. The mouth is slightly 

 protractile, very small, the cleft being \ of the length of the head ; the 

 teeth are normal ; the nostrils open near the anterior part of the orbit ; 

 the preopercle is narrow ; near the angle are a few indistinct crenula- 

 tions ; the opercle terminates in a small flat membranous point. The 

 black ocular band is in front bordered by the second white band, 

 which obliquely encircles that part of the head ; behind by the poste- 

 rior white band, which from the chest proceeds vertically over the 

 preopercle to a little in front of the anterior dorsal spine. As the pro- 

 file of the head is sloping, the black ocular band is nearly threesided, 

 much broader above than below the eye. The dorsal spines gradually 

 increase in length till the fifth which, as well as the rest, is nearly 

 equal § of the length of the head ; the two anterior spines are exposed ; 

 the rest become gradually covered with scales which spread in an ob- 

 lique arched line, so as barely to leave the points of the three last spines 

 visible ; the soft portion is gently arched, scaly, highest in the middle, 

 where the rays slightly exceed the length of the fifth spine. The 

 length of the caudal fin is a little more than ^ of the length of the 

 head ; the posterior margin is straight when at rest, but rounded when 

 expanded, and then more than double the length of the fin ; the ante- 

 rior f are covered with scales. The anal commences opposite the 8th 

 or 9th dorsal ray ; the anterior spine is § of the second and third, 

 which in length equal the fifth dorsal ; they are gradually covered with 

 scales, so that of the last one third only is exposed ; the soft part is 

 rounded, scaly, its highest elevation in the middle equalling that of 

 the dorsal. The ventrals commence opposite the termination of the 

 root of the pectorals ; the length of the spine is ^ of that of the head, 

 and | of that of the first ray ; above the root of each ventral appears a 

 broad pointed scale. The length of the pectorals is a little more than 



