1388 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. [Dec. 



The fins are placed as they are in S. zygaena, except the posterior 

 dorsal which commences but little in front of the termination of the 

 anal. The following admeasurements were taken from the largest 

 individual, 4 ft. 4 inch in length. She was a female captured at 

 Pinang in September 1844. 



Distance between the nostrils, 9f inch. 



„ between the angles of the mouth, 5f 



She had eighteen living foetus, of which seven were males, eleven 

 females. The lateral processes of the head were in all bent backwards 

 and towards the sides of the body, so as to make the head resemble a 

 broad arrow, as represented by M. Valenciennes. All the foetus were 

 of the following dimensions : 



Total length, 13f inch. 



Length of the head, lf 



„ lateral margin of the head, J 



Distance between the eyes, 6 



„ from the angle of the mouth to anus, 5 



„ anus to anal fin, \\ 



Base of anal, Oj 



Height of ditto, Of 



Distance from anal to caudal fin, Of 



Length of caudal, 4f 



Base of anterior dorsal, , If 



Height of ditto, 2f 



Base of posterior dorsal, , Of 



Height of ditto, Of 



Length of pectorals, * If 



Breadth of ditto, 1£ 



Distance between nostrils, 2 



„ angles of the mouth, Oj 



In January 1845 another female occurred, 3 ft. 8 inch, in length, 

 with fifteen living foetus. Of these ten were males, five females, all 

 of which measured one foot in length. Young individuals, upwards 

 of 3 ft. in length, are very numerous at all seasons in the Straits of 

 Malacca. In the Bay of Bengal, in 21° N., the species is of rarer 

 occurrence. The young feed on Crustacea, the older on fishes. 



