1154 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. [Nov. 



portions and the colours are the same in all ages. The uniformly 

 setaceous teeth, the comparatively less height of the body and elonga- 

 tion of the dorsal and anal fins are characters which remove this 

 species from the rest, and approach it to the Genus Chcetodon. As 

 above observed, the peculiar distribution of colours bears a striking 

 resemblance to that of Chelmon rostratus, (Linne). During the 

 month of May 1840 numerous individuals were daily observed in the 

 fishmarket at Singapore. At Pinang single individuals occur during 

 all seasons. The fish is eaten both fresh and dried by the natives, 

 although reputed indifferent and bony. 



Gen. Monodactylus, Lacepede. 1800. 



Body compressed; dorsal and anal scaly, more or less falciform, 

 with their spines hid to the point in the anterior margin ; teeth close, 

 velvety ; ventral spines minute, the latter so as easily to escape obser- 

 vation, 



Monodactylus rhomeeus, (Forskal.) 



Scomber rhombeus, Forskal. Fauna Arab. 58, No. 78. 



Centrogaster rhombeus, Linne: Syst. 1338. 



Centropodus rhomboidalis, Lacepede III. 303, 304, 305. 



Russell, LIX. Kauki Sandawa. 



Psettus rhombeus, Cuv. R. A. II. 193 ( 4 ). 



Psettus rhombeus, Cuv. and Val. VII. 245. 



Monodactylus rhombeus, Swainson II. 212. 



Adult. Profile of the head and back black ; the rest above the 

 lateral line golden green ; sides of the head, opercles, and the body 

 beneath the lateral line pale silvery ; from the anus to the anal fin a 

 black line ; from the occiput to the centre of the upper margin of the 

 orbit an oblique black band, continued through the pale golden iris, and 

 in some over the cheek ; a second similar band from the first dorsal 

 spine to the point of the opercle ; anterior margin of dorsal and the 

 angle formed by the anterior six or eight rays black ; the branched 

 part of the succeeding rays gamboge, minutely dotted with black ; the 

 rest of the fin golden green ; caudal gamboge, margin black or black- 

 ish ; anterior margin of anal and the angle formed by the anterior four 

 rays bluish black ; the branched part of the succeeding rays pale blu- 

 ish or blackish, minutely dotted with black ; the rest of the fin greenish 



