1 84 9 .] Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. 1 339 



diameter of the eye by J ; the extent of the base equals the distance from 

 the muzzle to the first dorsal spine ; the distance between the last dorsal 

 and the root of the upper caudal ray equals the vertical diameter at the 

 root of the caudal both are contained 2\ times in the extent of the base 

 of the posterior dorsal. The anus is situated opposite the third ray of 

 the posterior dorsal ; the anal commences opposite the 6th, and extends 

 farther back than the opposite fin, which it otherwise resembles. The 

 caudal is very large, broad oval ; the central rays, the longest, equal 

 the length of the head. The rounded pectorals slightly exceed the 

 longest dorsal rays. The vertical diameters at the first dorsal spine 

 and at the first dorsal ray, equal the distance between the spine and 

 the muzzle ; in the centre between the two dorsals the diameter equals 

 the head. A single individual was observed at Pinang in December 

 1842, Shortly after death the body became shining blackish, a shade 

 lighter than the "blue marks, which changed to intense bluish black. 



Alutarius barbatus, (Gray.) 



Plate VIII. Fig. 1. 



(Icon.) Balistes (Anacanthus) barbatus, Gray : 111. Ind. Zool. L 



PI. 84, Fig. 2. 

 Anacanthus* barbatus, Gray i Zool. Miscell. 8. 

 Psilocephalusf barbatus, Swainson, II. 327. 



* The following are Mr. Gray's characters : " Anacanthus. Body long, lan- 

 ceolate, compressed, covered with small scales ; head produced, beak-shaped, mouth 

 small ; under lip one bearded ; pelvis produced, bag-like, with a single rather long 

 spine in front ; dorsal fin one, long ; anal long ; tail long, lanceolate ; most allied to 

 Alutera (les Aluteres, CuvJ. 



" Anacanthus barbatus, Illust. Ind. Zool. Pise. t. 1. f. 2. Brown, rather paler 

 beneath ; under part of the jaws, body and ventral pouch whitish, marbled with 

 black lines ; anal fin produced a little beyond the dorsal fin ; tail nearly half as long 

 as the body, D 46, V 11, A 60, P 8 ? Singapore." (Zool. Miscell. 1831, p. 8.) 



Comparison of preserved specimens of this fish with the plate in the Illustr. of 

 Ind. Zoology, leaves little doubt that the latter is an incorrect copy. The draughts- 

 man has overlooked the anterior dorsal fin, and added a ventral spine and pouch. 

 These two are the principal distinguishing characters of the Gen. Anacanthus. 

 Both, however, are erroneous : the fish is a true Alutarius, and the genus Anacan- 

 thus is inadmissible. 



t Psilocephalus, Swainson, 1839, is a second genus founded upon the figure 

 of Anacanthus barbatus in 111. Ind. Zool. It is thus doubly inadmissible being a 

 synonyme of Anacanthus, and being founded upon erroneous characters, 



