FAMILY, I— PERCID^E. 99 



The young have vertical bands, the alternate ones being the shortest. 



Habitai. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond, attaining 8 inches or more in length. 



4. Gerres oyena, Plate XXV, fig. 4. 



Lahrus oyena, Forsk. p. 35 ; Bl. Schn. p. 245 ; Lacep. iii, p. 463. 

 Labrus longirostris, Lacep. iii, p. 467, pi. 19, fig. 1. 

 Sparus brvtannus, Lacep. iv, pp. 132, 134. 

 Smarts oyena, Riipp. Atl. p. 11, t. 3, f. 2. 



Gerres oyena, Cuv. and Val. vi, p. 472 ; Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen. xxiii. Msenid. p. 12 ; Giinther, Catal. i, 

 p. 353, and iv, p. 261 ; Klunz. Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1870, p. 772. 



Gerres equula, Temm. and Schleg. Fauna Japon. p. 76, pi. 40, fig. 1.* 

 Diapterus filamentosus, Bleeker, Ternate, p. 232, and Revis. Gerr. p. 20. 



B. vi, D. £., P. 15, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 19, L. 1. 38-40, L. tr. 5/10, Ca3c. pyl. 3. 



Length of head 1/4, of caudal 2/9, height of body 4/11 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 2/7 of length 

 of head, 1 diameter from end of snout and also apart. The groove for the posterior processes of the premaxil- 

 laries reaches to opposite the middle of the orbit. The maxilla extends to below the first third of the orbit. 

 Preopercle roughened along its vertical limb but not serrated. Teeth — fine. Fins — dorsal spines pretty strong, 

 the anterior ones somewhat compressed and a little arched, the second longest and equal to nearly the length of 

 the head without the snout ; the last spine nearly as high as the rays and rather longer than the postorbital 

 length of the head : pectoral longer than the head and reaching to beyond the anal spines : ventral almost 

 touching the anal. Second anal spine strongest but shorter than the third, which equals half the length of the 

 head ; caudal forked. Scales — fine ones covering the caudal fin : sheath to the dorsal and anal fins high : four 

 rows of scales between the lateral-line and the base of the sheath opposite the fourth dorsal spine. Free portion 

 of the tail as high at its commencement as it is long. Colours — silvery, dorsal fin black edged, and a dark spot 

 on each spine and ray at about half their height : a darkish mark may exist over the free portion of the tail : a 

 narrow black posterior edge to the middle of the caudal : the fins yellow. 



Habitat. — Bed Sea, East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. The 

 specimen figured was taken at Mangalore and is 7J inches in length, its second anal spine is rather abnormally 

 strong, and the lower caudal lobe is a little shortened, as is so frequently the case with littoral and estuary- 

 fishes. 



5. Gerres lucidus, Plate XXV, fig. 5. 

 Gerres lueidus, Cuv. and Val. vi, p. 477. 



B. vi, D. &, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 17, L. 1. 40, L. tr. 5/10, Case. pyl. 3. 



Length of head 2/9, of caudal 2/9, height of body 1/3 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 2/5 

 of length of head, 2/3 of a diameter from end of snout, and 1 apart. The groove for the posterior 

 process of the premaxillary is ovate, scaleless, and reaches to nearly opposite the first third of the 

 orbit. The maxilla reaches to below the first third of the orbit. Preopercle entire, in a few specimens 

 it is a little roughened along its horizontal edge, but not serrated. Teeth — fine. Fins — dorsal spines of 

 moderate strength and not curved, the first very short, the third slightly longer than the second and 

 equal to two-fifths of the height of the body, or the length of the head posterior to the middle of the orbit : 

 pectoral longer than the head and reaching to above the anal spines : ventrals reach two- thirds of the way to 

 the anal : second anal spine strongerf but generally not quite so long as the third which is a little longer than 

 the third of the dorsal : caudal forked. Free portion of the tail as high at its commencement as it is long. 

 Scales — the sheath for the dorsal fin is rather more developed than that for the anal : a few scales over the 

 caudal : four rows between the lateral-line and the base of the fourth dorsal spine. Colours — silvery, with an 

 indistinct vertical dark band over the nape, a second from below the dorsal spines, and two more below the soft 

 portion of the dorsal fin : snout black : fins canary-yellow, the upper half of the membrane between the second 

 and fifth dorsal spines deep black, J the rest of the fin dark edged with a black margin : a row of dark spots 

 along the dorsal spines and rays at half their height : caudal grey-edged, the inferior caudal lobe with a very 

 narrow white lower edge and a white tip. 



As this fish increases in length the height of the body becomes proportionately a little less, thus at 

 5 inches in length it is 4/13 of the total : and the eye 3/4 of a diameter from the end of the snout. 



This species is closely allied to G. setifer, but the latter appears to be confined to the tidal Hooghly, 

 whereas this is a marine form having one dorsal spine less, &c, as already pointed out (see p. 98). 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and China : it is the most common Indian species, visiting 

 the coasts in enormous numbers. 



6. Gerres abbreviatus, Plate XXV, fig. 6. 



? Sparus erythrurus, Bloch, t. 261. 



* The type specimen is still in good preservation in the Leyden Museum, the artist has given his figure too elongated a shape, 

 in fact resembling G. oblongus. 



f The second anal spine is much stronger in this species than in specimens of G. Japonicus, which however it very strongly 

 resembles. 



% This deep black colour of the dorsal interspinous membrane, is liable to be diminished in specimens which have been kept 

 long in spirit, especially if their condition at first had not been very good or the liquor tainted. 



o 2 



