1160 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes, [Nov. 



FAM. T^NIOHXX. 



Gen. Cepola, Linne 1766. 



Body elongated, compressed like a sword-blade ; dorsal and anal 



fins very long ; caudal pointed ; ventrals attached under the pectorals ; 



muzzle obtuse ; jaws opening nearly vertically, with pointed teeth ; 



the ventrals are the only fins preceded by a bony spine. 



Cepola abreviata, Cuv. and Val, 



Cepola abreviata, Cuv. and Val. X. 403. 



Cepola variegata, Swainson II. Appendix, 402. 



Head above carmine ; cheeks and opercle paler ; jaws, preopercle and 

 throat silvery whitish ; back deep flesh-coloured, paler, with silvery 

 reflections on the sides and abdomen, pale bluish under the pectorals ; 

 lateral line silvery ; along the middle of the sides a longitudinal series 

 of about 14 round, distant, orange, or cornelian-red spots, gradually 

 decreasing in size towards the caudal ; dorsal and anal rose-coloured, 

 deepening to crimson on the marginal half; anal edged throughout, 

 dorsal at the posterior part, with dark purple ; membranes sparingly 

 dotted with brown ; caudal rays black ; membrane cornelian-red ; 

 pectorals transparent, ventrals white. Iris silvery rose-coloured, orbi- 

 tal margin black. 



D 72 or 74, C 13, A 74, V 1/5, P 19, Br. VI. 



Habit. — Sea of Pinang. 



Moluccas, Anjer (Java,) China. 



Total length : 7f inch. 



The length of the head is \ of the total ; the depth at the occiput 

 £ of the length. The distance from the muzzle to the eye is \ of that 

 from the muzzle to the point of the opercle. The diameter of the eye 

 is ^ of the length of the head. In each jaw appears a single series of 

 small pointed recurvous teeth, of which those near the symphysis are a 

 little longer than the rest. There are about 24 on each side of the 

 upper, 12 on each side of the lower jaw. On the lower margin of the 

 preopercle appear five rather strong spines : two pointing obliquely 

 backwards and downwards at the angle, and three, pointing forwards, 

 along the margin. The cheeks and opercles are covered with scales, 

 the rest of the head is naked. The vertical diameter at the pectorals 

 nearly equals the length of the head ; the diameter in front of the 



