1184 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. [Nov. 



by a triangular membrane to the posterior part of the back. The cau- 

 dal equals the length of the head ; when spread out, the posterior 

 margin is rounded with the points of the rays exposed, but ordinarily 

 the fin appears lanceolate. The anal commences opposite the twelfth 

 dorsal ray ; it resembles the dorsal, but the rays are a little shorter ; the 

 last one is connected by a membrane to the posterior part of the abdo- 

 men. The pectorals are rounded, # of the total length. The ventrals 

 consist of three rays, of which the anterior is the shortest ; the central 

 is the broadest, but its length equals the very thin posterior one, which 

 is about \ of the total length. Single individuals occur at all seasons 

 at Pinang. They resemble some of the Gohioidce in their power of 

 sustaining life for some time out of water, in their skipping movements, 

 and in their habit of inflating the gill-membrane. The diaphragm is 

 silvery white ; the stomach capacious, generally expanded with minute 

 Crustacea ; the liver small ; the gall large, pyriform ; the intestinal canal 

 is simple, about the length of the fish ; the air-vessel small, pyriform, 

 silvery. This species is closely allied to P. bankieri> Richardson,* which, 

 however, is readily distinguishable by its larger eye (^ of the head,) 

 and by the third ventral ray being much shorter than the second. 



FAM. LOPHIOID.E. 



Gen. Antennarius, (Commerson) Lacepede 1798. 

 (CHiRONECTES,f Cuvier, 1817). 

 Head compressed with three free rays on the crown ; mouth verti- 

 cally cleft ; opening of the gills small, round, behind the pectoral fins, 

 in the posterior part of axilla. Tongue toothless. Intermaxillaries, 

 lower jaw, vomer, palatines and pharyngeals with minute card-like 

 teeth. Dorsal fin elongated. 



Antennarius raninus, (Tilesius). 



Klein: Miss. III. PI. 3, Fig. 4? 

 Lophius histrio, Var C, Bloch-Schn., 142? 

 Lophius histrio marmoratus, Bl.-Schn. Ibid ? 

 Lophius raninus, Tilesius : Mem. Mosc, XI. PI. 16. 



* Ichthyology of the Voyage of H. M. S. Sulphur, 136, PI. LXIV. Fig. 8, 9. 



—Report 1845, 266. 

 f Chironectes, Illiger. 1811, a genus of Marsupialia. 



