1268 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. [Dec. 



number of branchiostegous rays, but as M. Valenciennes drew up his 

 description from a single specimen, and as the character is liable to 

 individual variations, it is without actual comparison of specimens 

 not sufficient to distinguish species, which so nearly resemble each 

 other as those of the genus Albula. 



Gen. Dussumieria, Valenciennes, 1847. 



Form of the body resembling Gen. Sardinella, but the abdomen 

 smooth, not toothed ; fine teeth in the jaws, on the tongue, palatal and 

 pterygoid bones ; those of the two latter resembling a fine rasp. 



Dussumieria acuta, Cuv. and Val. 



Dussumieria acuta, Cuv. and Val. XX. 467, PL 606. 



Tamban bulat of the Malays. 



Head above, back and upper third of the sides deep glossy blue, 

 bordered by a longitudinal band of pale copper-red ; the rest of the head 

 and body shining silvery ; dorsal hyaline, minutely dotted with black 

 along the base ; caudal whitish or yellowish minutely dotted with black, 

 posterior margin blackish; rest of the fins hyaline; jaws minutely 

 dotted with black : symphysis of the upper jaw black ; on each side of 

 that of the lower a short dotted black line ; tongue bluish, dotted 

 with black. Iris silvery, orbital margin blackish. 



D 19 to 21, C 19|, A 14 to 17, V 8, P 13 or 14, Br. XV. 



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

 Malabar, Coromandel, Bencoolen. 



Total length : 6 inch. 



The length of the head is contained 4f times in the total ; the depth at 

 occiput 2\ in the length of the head. The eye, bordering on the profile, 

 occupies the middle of the head ; the horizontal diameter is \ of the 

 length of the head ; the distance across the forehead f of the diameter ; 

 the thick adipose fold covering the eye has a small circular pupillary 

 opening. The left branchiostegous membrane slightly overlaps the 

 right, but the number of the rays of both is equal. The greatest vertical 

 diameter in front of the dorsal is 5£ in the total length. The scales are 

 small, rounded and very deciduous. The dorsal fin commences at equal 

 distance from the muzzle and the centre of the posterior caudal margin. 

 Single individuals of this species occur at Pinang at all seasons, but 



