1336 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. [Dec. 



(7 f inch in length.) Ground-colour darker; back with numerous 

 oblique or vertical spots ; sides of head, body and abdomen with 

 similar larger ones of irregular form, all the spots of a pale, half-effaced, 

 blackish colour ; caudal rays yellowish olive, membrane hyaline, closely 

 and minutely dotted with black ; posterior margin blackish. 



D 2—46 or 47, C 10J, A 47, 48 or 49, P 14, Br. VI. 



Habit. — Sea of Pinang. 



Total length : 7f inch. 



The form is broad lanceolate, the abdominal profile a little more 

 arched than the dorsal. The length of the head, from the chin to a 

 little behind the orbit, is about ^ of the total. The eye is situated in 

 the centre between the first dorsal spine and the upper extremity of 

 the gill-opening ; the horizontal diameter is a little less than \ of the 

 length of the head. The frontal outline gently slopes from the first 

 dorsal spine to the muzzle ; that of the throat is more oblique and con- 

 tinues in a moderate arch to the anus. The horizontal distance between 

 the eyes exceeds that diameter of each eye by J. In front of the eye 

 appear two tubular nasal apertures, contiguous and both directed back- 

 wards ; the anterior is the larger and closed by a small membranous 

 valve. The lips are very thin, membranous and scarcely cover the teeth 

 The latter are very pointed ; in other respects they as well as the tongue 

 resemble those organs of Batistes conspicillum. The linear gill-openings 

 are placed obliquely, with the upper extremity opposite the posterior 

 margin of the orbit, the anterior extremity extends a little farther than 

 the orbit ; in its course the gill-opening deviates a little downwards from 

 the corresponding profile of the forehead ; its length exceeds by ^ the 

 horizontal diameter of the eye. The five superior branchiostegous rays 

 are setaceous, gradually decreasing in length towards the sixth, which is 

 the shortest, and broad, like a sabre. The first dorsal spine is rather 

 slender slightly arched, tetragonal and armed with thorns on all four 

 margins ; the membrane is very small and completely covers the second 

 spine. The latter is excessively minute, yet distinct. The length of the 

 first spine equals that of the gill-opening ; its distance from the muzzle 

 is ^ of that of the body, not including the caudal ; from the posterior 

 dorsal it is a little less. The latter interval deviates but slightly up- 

 wards from the horizontal. The second dorsal commences a little in 

 front of the centre of the total length ; it is generally low ; the longest 



