1849.] Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. 1 1 53 



of the caudal, within the black edges of this band, a vertical oval black 

 spot with a broad white margin ; the rest of the band following the 

 margin of the soft anal, successively joins the fourth and third pre- 

 ceding bands ; the dorsal spines and the angle they form with the rays 

 of a brilliant orange, which spreads over the origin of the fourth and 

 fifth bands. Anterior half of caudal ferruginous, posterior whitish, 

 bluish or blackish towards the margin ; pectorals yellowish white ; 

 ventrals milky white, the marginal half of the soft part black. Iris 

 pale golden, vertically divided by the anterior lateral band. 



D 6 or 7/29 or 30, C 17|, A 3/19 or 20, V 1/5, P 15, Br. VI. 



Habit. — Sea of Pinang, Malayan Peninsula, Singapore, 



Total length : 3f inch. 



The length of the head is a little less than ^ of the total, its greatest 

 vertical diameter slightly exceeding the length. The eye is situated 

 a little above the centre of the vertical diameter of the head, close to 

 the profile ; the diameter is a little less than £ of the length of the 

 head, equal the distance across the forehead. The form of the body is 

 broad oval, the back and abdomen forming uniform arches, interrupted 

 by the somewhat horizontally protracted muzzle. The greatest height 

 of the body, from the root of the fourth dorsal ray to the first anal 

 spine, exceeds by \ half the total length. The mouth is very small, 

 slightly protractile, the lower jaw longer than the upper ; the teeth 

 setaceous, all uniformly pointed, none trilobate. The anterior dorsal 

 spines are very short, the rest gradually increase, the last equalling the 

 length of the head. The two or three anterior rays, the longest, 

 slightly exceed | of the greatest height of the body ; the extent of the 

 base of the dorsal fin equals the length of the body, the head and cau- 

 dal not included. The posterior margin of the caudal is slightly 

 arched ; the length of this and the pectoral fins is about \ of the total. 

 The third anal spine equals the fifth dorsal ; the two anterior rays, 

 the longest, measure ^ of the longest dorsal rays ; the extent of the 

 base of the anal is less than f of that of the dorsal. The ventral 

 spine equals the fifth dorsal spine ; the first ray is elongated, about 

 the length of the head. The scales are rather large, orbicular, finely 

 ciliated ; the lateral line continues straight to a short distance from 

 the head, where it rises to a moderate arch, gradually approaching the 

 back till suddenly terminating beneath the last dorsal rays. The pro- 



7 i 2 



