1849.] Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. 1351 



upper margin slopes backwards ; the anterior ray, the longest, is £ of 

 the length of the head, of which the extent of the base is \. The anal 

 is but little farther backwards than the dorsal, opposite the middle of 

 which is placed the first raj ; in form and length it resembles the dor- 

 sal. The caudal is elongated oval ; its length § of the head. The 

 pectoral is broad, nearly triangular ; the third ray, the longest, equals the 

 caudal. This fish is of rare occurrence at Pinang. Of four individuals 

 observed at irregular intervals, the length varied from 2 to 1 inch. They 

 appear to be young individuals. The triangular partitions of the ar- 

 mour characterise O. turritum,* Forskal. Possibly the present fish 

 may be the young of that species, prior to the appearance of the spines 

 and the full development of the dorsal crest. 



OSTRACIUM NASUS, Bloch. 



Ostracion nasus, Bloch, Tab. 138. 



Ostracion nasus, Shaw, V. 426, PI. 171. 



Ostracion nasus, Cuvier, R. A. Ed. 1, II. 154 ( 5 ). 



Ostracion nasus, Swainson, II. 323. 



Buntal paivjang of the Malays. 



Upper surface pale brownish- or greenish olive, with numerous small 

 rounded dark brown spots ; sides lighter of either colour ; in some the 

 margins of the polygons dark brown ; abdomen either uniformly buff 

 with the margins of the polygons pale lilac, or pale reddish yellow with 

 the nuclei of the polygons greenish white ; the naked tail brownish 

 olive, lighter on the sides, with numerous brown spots ; beneath green- 

 ish buff ; lips, margin of gill*openings and root of pectorals pale greenish 

 olive with few brown spots ; fins pale transparent greenish olive ; a 

 round brown spot at the root of each dorsal ray, and a few similar 

 scattered over some of the caudal rays. Orbital half of iris pale green- 

 ish olive with few brown spots, rest bright yellow with a blackish or 

 orange ring ; pupil black, circular. 



Young. "With a few rounded brown spots irregularly scattered over 

 the sides. 



* Syn. Ostracion turritus, Forsk. 5. 7, No. 113;— Bloch. Tab. 136 ;— Shaw, V. 

 425, Tab. 171 ;— Cuv. R. A. Ed. 1, II. 154 ;— Ruppell : Atlas, 5, and Neue Wirb. 

 Fische, 61 ; — Tetrasomus turritus, Swainson, II. 323. 



8 L 



