1370 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. [Dec. 



total ; the distance from the posterior margin of the orbit to the gill- 

 opening is nearly J of the head ; that from the symphysis of the lower 

 jaw to the anterior margin of the orbit exceeds by ^ half the length of 

 the head. The diameter of the orbit is 7 of the length of the head. The 

 distance across the forehead is a little less than one diameter. From the 

 posterior part of the supraorbital margin rises a small, backwards directed 

 thorn, which like the rest of the head is minutely honey-combed. A 

 similar, but smaller thorn appears in the middle of the anterior and pos- 

 terior margin of the orbit. The opercles are soldered together, and with 

 numerous backwards radiating lines. The occipital crest is surmounted 

 by 3 minute thorns. The body and tail, as far as the dorsal extends, 

 are heptagonal ; the rest of the tail is quadrangular, gradually tapering 

 into a point. The greatest vertical diameter, halfway between the 

 head and the dorsal, is about -J- of the length of the head ; the greatest 

 horizontal diameter of the back is contained from 6^ to 7 times in the 

 length of the head, while that of the abdomen varies from 1\ to 3 times 

 in the head. The anus is situated as far behind the middle of the 

 total length as § of the length of the snout. The dorsal commences on 

 the 18th ring of the body, a little in front of the anus, and continues 

 on the 10 anterior rings of the tail ; the extent of the base is one dia- 

 meter of the orbit shorter than the head ; the dorsal and pectoral rays 

 scarcely exceed § of the diameter of the orbit ; the anal rays are about 

 a. Single individuals occur in the Straits of Malacca during all seasons. 



Gen. Hippocampus, Cuviei% 1817. 



Trunk laterally compressed and conspicuously more elevated than 

 the tail ; the junctions of the rings are raised into ridges and their 

 salient angles into spines ; caudal none. 



Hippocampus mannulus, Cantor. 



Plate XI. Fig. 1. 



Young. Pale greyish brown ; sides and abdominal surface of tail 

 pale yellowish. 



Length : 3| inch. 



Older. Pale yellow ochre ; fins hyaline ; dorsal with two longitu- 

 dinal series of blackish spots. Iris silvery bluish-grey. 



