1152 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. [Nov. 



pale whitish ; ventrals brownish yellow ; pectorals whitish. Iris of 

 the ground colour of the body, with a narrow golden ring. 



D (5)/31, C \7\, A (3)/23, V 1/5, P 17, Br. VI. 



Habit. — Sea of Pinang, Singapore. 

 Java, Sumatra. 



Total length : 1 foot 7 inch. 



The dorsal and anal spines are so completely hidden, that they are 

 imperceptible to the touch, but on close inspection their points may 

 be perceived through the integuments. The greatest height equals 

 the distance from the muzzle to the termination of the dorsal and ven- 

 tral fins. The diameter of the eye is £ of the length of the head, 

 which is about £ of the total. The large arched occipital crest, 

 and the nodulous enlargement of some of the bones render this 

 species easily distinguishable. On each side of the symphysis of the 

 upper jaw appears a minute pore, and five somewhat larger on each 

 side of the lower jaw. At Pinang this species is not numerous, al- 

 though from October till January eight or ten are sometimes captured 

 at the time in the fishing stakes. The flavour is considered excellent. 

 The large air-vessel is too thin, and yields too little isinglass to become 

 of value. 



Platax ocellatus, Cuv. and Val. 



Platax ocellatus, Cuv. and Val. VII. 229. 



Ground colour of body and fins pale ochreous silvery ; with one 

 frontal and five lateral ferruginous bands, edged with black : a narrow 

 frontal band along the profile of the head to the point of the muzzle ; 

 the first lateral from the occiput, describing a forwards directed arch, 

 through the iris, over the cheek to a little in front of the ventrals ; the 

 second, less arched, from in front of the dorsal, bordering on the oper- 

 cle, enclosing the base of the pectoral to midway between the ventrals 

 and anus ; the third following obliquely the two or three posterior 

 dorsal spines, proceeds a little backwards down the side, to the ante- 

 rior margin of the anal ; the fourth, the broadest, from between the 

 spine and soft part of the dorsal, describing a slightly backwards 

 directed arch down the side and over the anterior third of the anal ; 

 at the base of the dorsal within this band a large rounded or oval black 

 spot ; the fifth band follows the margin of the soft dorsal ; in front 



