116 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



rays, which, as well as those of the anal, are receivable into a groove at their bases : vnterspimous membrane deeply 

 notched : pectoral long and falciform. Scales of moderate size. Air-vessel posteriorly prolonged into two horns. 

 Pyloric appendages few. 



Geographical distribution. — Red Sea, throughout those of India, and beyond. 



SYNOPSIS OP INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Drepane punctata, D. -^'.^y, A. tf-tt- Silvery, with or without vertical bands and black spots. 



1. Drepane punctata, Plate XXIX, fig. 5. 



Chcetodon punctatus, Gmel. Linn. p. 1243; Bl. Schn. p. 231 ; Shaw. Zool. iv, p. 365. 



Chmtodon longimanus, Bl. Schn. p. 229. 



Chmtodon falcatus, Lacep. iv, pp. 452, 470. 



Ghcetodon latte, Russell, Fish. Vizag. i, p. 62, pi. 79. 



Chcetodon terla, A and B, Russell, 1. c. i, pp. 63, 64, fig. 80, 81. 



PJphippus pwiictatus et longimanus, Cuv. Reg. Anim. ii, 191. 



Drepane punctata, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 132, pi. 179; Swainson, ii, 213; Dampier, Voy. New Holland, ii, 

 pi. 4 ; Richards. Ich. China, p. 244, and Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist, x, 1842, p. 28 ; Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen. 

 xxii, p. 5 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 62, and Fische d. Sudsee, p. 55 ; Day, Pish. Malabar, p. 36 ; Kner, Novara 

 Pische, p. 107. 



Drepane longimana, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 133 ; Richards. 1. c. p. 245 ; Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen. xxiii, 

 Chfetod. p. 23. 



Harpochirus punctatus et longimanus, Cantor, Catal. pp. 162, 163. 

 .Gryptosmilia luna, Cope, Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. xiii, p. 401. 



Punnur, Sind. ; Slvuh, Belooch. ; Pundthee, Mai. ; Pulli or Torriti, Tarn. ; Thetti, Tel. ; Moopi-chanda, 

 Chittag. ; Shengna-roet, Arrak. ; Nga-shengna, Burm. 



B. vi, D. silts, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. ^t,-, C. 15, L. 1. 50-55, L. r. fgij-f, L. tr. 14/33, Ca^c. pyl. 2-3. 



Length of head from 4/13 to 1/4, of pectoral 1/2, of caudal 1/4 to 1/5, height of body 2/3 to 3/4 of the 

 total length. Eyes — diameter from 3/7 to 1/3 of the length of head, 1 to If diameters from end of snout, and 

 2/3 to 3/4 of a diameter apart. Dorsal profile considerably elevated, the abdominal much less curved. 

 Mouth small, the maxilla extends to below the first third of the orbit. Preorbital high, its depth generally 

 exceeding the diameter of the eye. Preopercle with a few serrations on its lower limb : sub- and inter-opercles 

 entire. 



In young specimens the upper edge of the orbit and the upper edge of the occipital process are serrated, 

 whilst there exist about eight strong teeth along the horizontal limb of the preopercle. In a very young 

 specimen (1J inches long), in addition to the foregoing, an elevated roughened ridge passes from the upper 

 hind edge of the orbit to the lateral-line. 



Fins — dorsal spines strong, and considerable differences are perceptible, in a young individual (at 1^ 

 inches long), the last six are of equal height. Should there be nine dorsal spines, the fourth is the longest in 

 the adult ; if only eight then the third : this spine equals the length of head behind the middle or front edge of 

 the eye : interspinous membrane deeply notched, and the rays longer than the spines : pectoral sometimes 

 reaching to the base of the caudal : second anal spine the strongest and generally the longest : caudal with its 

 central rays slightly produced. Colours — silvery, having a gloss of gold and tinge of purple, with or without 

 vertical bands and black spots : edges of the fins stained with grey, and a similar band along the middle of the 

 dorsal. 



The D. punctata has been considered a distinct species, and it may be that such an opinion is correct.* 

 At 4g inches in length is the earliest age at which I have seen distinct spots existing on the vertical body bands. 

 Out of twelve specimens of this variety, and in which every individual is distinctly spotted, nine dorsal spines 

 invariably exist, as given by Russell, and in Cuv. and Val. vii, pi. 179. 



In D. longimana, the black spots are absent, and out of eleven specimens examined, eight had only eight 

 dorsal spines, the number given by Russell, whilst the horizontal one before the dorsal fin was as a rule more 

 apparent than in the other variety : in some of the remaining three the spots may have disappeared. 



In the very young the fish are covered all over with minute dark spots giving them a grey appearance. 



Jerdon observes that D. punctata is termed Pooli tarate, and D. longimana, Sipu tarate. M. J. L. and S. 

 1851, p. 134. 



Habitat. — Red Sea, East coast of Africa, seas of India to Australia, attaining at least 15 inches in 

 length, and in most places esteemed as food. 



Genus, 9 — Toxotes, Cuv. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobranchiae. Body oblong, compressed, back depressed. Eyes of moderate size. 

 Snout rather produced ; lower jaw the longer. Villiform teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatine bones. A single dorsal 



* " Except the colours, no external character can be assigned to distinguish the two species, hut anatomical differences have 

 been pointed out by M. M. Cuv. and Val." — Cantor, I. c. 



