1354 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. [Dec. 



Head above, back and sides to a little below the gill-opening pale 

 tortoise-shell brown ; a transversal band composed of a large soot-coloured 

 spot behind each pectoral, and a series of smaller spots across the back ; 

 a second similar but paler band in front of the dorsal ; rest of the sides 

 and abdomen yellowish white ; fins whitish grey, minutely dotted with 

 brown ; all spines brown ; their roots of the colour of the part they 

 occupy. (From a preserved specimen.) 



D 12, C 9, A? P 19, Br.?* 



Habit. — Sea of Pinang. 



Total length : 6 inch. 



All the spines are compressed with the anterior margin convex, 

 sharp and continued over the anterior, horizontally forwards directed 

 root. The two posterior roots are placed at nearly right angles with 

 the anterior. The roots are generally longer than the spines of which 

 the longest appear on the sides of the back and body. Two longitudi- 

 nal series of spines of the mesial line of the back, and three of the 

 abdomen are shorter than the rest. There are three spines above the 

 upper half of the orbit, three at the lower, and one at the angle of the 

 mouth. The throat is naked with a single small bony protuberance 

 beneath the symphysis of the lower jaw. Between the eyes appear 

 three spines, viz. a central and the anterior one of the three supraorbi- 

 tal ; between the pectorals across the back appear four spines. The 

 upper part of the back carries four longitudinal series, viz. two cen- 

 tral, each of eight, both terminating with an odd spine at a little dis- 

 tance in front of the dorsal fin, and two lateral series each of five spines, 

 of which the anterior commences a little behind the pectoral fins, the 

 posterior is situated between the dorsal and the caudal. This fish is 

 of very rare occurrence at Pinang. The only one observed was a spe- 

 cimen which on account of its rarity had been kept preserved for 

 several years, and was thus rendered unserviceable for more minute 

 examination. 



Gen. Tetrodon, Linne, 1766. 

 The jaws divided in the centre by a suture, so as to present the ap- 

 pearance of four teeth : two above and two beneath ; the skin armed with 

 small, slightly projecting spines ; ventrals none. 



* In Mem. du Mus. IV, Cuvier gives six, in Regne Animal five branchiostegous rays. 





