1420 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes, [Dec. 



Dicerobatis eregoodoo, (Cuvier.) 



Russell : page 5, No. IX. Eregoodoo Tenkee. R. (Dorsal view.) 

 Cephaloptera eregoodo-tenkee, Cuv. R. A. II. 402 ('). 

 (Young ?) Above intense purple, with blue and violet reflections ; 

 at the apex of the dorsal fin a whitish rounded spot ; external margin 

 of ventrals white ; upper (external) surface of the cranial fins, and side 

 of the head behind the eyes white ; lower (internal) surface of the cra- 

 nial fins silvery grey, of a chequered appearance, produced by the trans- 

 verse divisions of the rays ; the apex and internal margin broadly 

 brimmed with black ; beneath white ; tail, as far as the ventrals extend, 

 white, rest black ; margin of the snout and both jaws black. Iris purple ; 

 pupil vertical, resembling the figure 8, or two vertically placed balls. 



Habit. — Sea of Pinang. 

 Coromandel. 



The inner half of the anterior margin of the pectorals is very slightly 

 concave, the outer half convex ; the posterior margin is concave ; the 

 external and internal angles acute. The length of the pectorals, from 

 their origin, above and a little behind the eye, to their internal angle, 

 is about f of the greatest breadth of the disk. The ventrals project 

 but little beyond the pectorals. The male appendages are about f of 

 the internal margin of the ventrals, slender and throughout attached 

 to the margin. The tail slightly exceeds I ^ times the length of the 

 body ; it is very slender, flagelliform, and nearly throughout tetragonal. 

 The dorsal fin has the appearance of being triangular, but it has a 

 posterior very short margin. It commences a little in front of the 

 ventrals and terminates a little behind their termination. The apex 

 of the dorsal hardly extends beyond the anterior half of the ven- 

 trals. The body is smooth to the touch. The upper surface of the 

 head and the throat are perforated by numerous pores. At the poste- 

 rior part of the back appear some very minute scales or spines, which 

 resemble white dots. They are distant and offer no resistance to the 

 touch. The tail is naked and without spine. The anterior margin of 

 the head (the snout), between the cranial fins, is concave. The dis- 

 tance from the centre of this margin to the mouth is J of the breadth 

 of the mouth. The length of the cranial fins, from their origin a little 

 behind the mouth to their apex, equals the distance between both fins 



