174 ACANTH0PTERYGI1. 



Family, X— KUKTIM1. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobranchiffi absent. Body oblong and compressed. Eyes large. The 

 infraorbital bones do not articulate with the preopercle. Cleft of mouth oblique: lower jaw prominent. 

 Villiform teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatines. A single dorsal fin, the spinous portion being of less extent 

 than the soft, some spines may even be rudimentary : anal elongated, with two or three spines : ventrals 

 thoracic with one spine and five rays. Scales of moderate or small size. Air-vessel present. Pyloric 

 appendages few. 



SYNOPSIS OF GENERA. 



1. Kurtus. Dorsal spines rudimentary, three anal ones. A horizontally directed spine between the 

 ventral fins. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



2. Pempheris. Six dorsal and three anal spines. Scales over the anal fin. Red Sea, seas of India to 

 the Malay Archipelago. 



Genus, 1 — Kurtus, Bloch. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobranchice absent. Body oblong and strongly compressed : back elevated. Cleft 

 of mouth oblique and deep, the lower jaio prominent. Preopercle denticulated. Villiform teeth in the jaws, vomer, 

 and palatines. A single dorsal fin of much shorter extent than the anal, its spines being rudimentary : between the 

 ventrals is a horizontal baclcwardly directed spine. Scales very small. Air-vessel present, enclosed in a conical cavity 

 made by the ribs, which are dilated, convex, and forming rings in contact with each other. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 

 1. Kurtus Indicus. D. t |:tt, A. -gy^. Silvery. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



1. Kurtus Indicus, Plate XLII, fig. 1. 



Kurtus Indicus, Bl. t. 169 ; Gmel. Linn. p. 1184; Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 185, pi. 25 ; Bl. Schn. p. 163 ; Bleeker, 

 Verb. Bat. Gen. xxiv, Makr. p. 78 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 510. 



Kurtus Blochii, Lacep. ii, pp. 516, 517 ; Cuv. and Val. ix, p. 421, pi. 277 ; Cuv. Regne Anim. Poiss. pi. 

 64, f. 2 ; Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 253. 



Blennius, ? Russell, Fish. Vizag. i, p. 37, and Somdrum-lcara-mooddee, pi. 48. 



Kurtus cornutus, Cuv. Reg. Anim. Poiss. pi. 64, f. 1 ; Cuv. and Val. ix, p. 426. 



Cyrtus Indicus, Cantor, Catal. p. 145; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 172. 



Kahasi, Tel. ; Oordah and Valliaul-cutchul, Tarn. 



B. vii, D. yf-^, P. 21, V. 1/5, A. J^, C. 17, Vert. 8/15. 



Length of head 1/4 to 2/9, of caudal 1/4 to 2/9, height of body 1/3 to 2/7 of the total length. Eyes— 

 in the anterior half of the head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and \\ apart. Body strongly compressed, the 

 males having a cartilaginous arched process directed forwards and situated a short distance in front of the dorsal 

 fin. Lower jaw the longer, and having a tuberosity at the symphysis, when the mouth is closed its extremity 

 forms a portion of the dorsal profile : the maxilla reaches to below the last third or hind edge of the orbit. A 

 strong, short spine directed downwards at the angle of the preopercle, and two or three more along its lower 

 edge : the occipital ridge rough. Teeth — in minute rows, in the jaws, vomer, and palatines. Fins — dorsal fin 

 having five spines in front of its soft portion, preceded by a recumbent spine directed anteriorly : in front of this 

 spine are some points appearing above the skin, most distinct in the fry, and similar to the rudimentary fins of 

 Stromateidai, &c. : soft portion of the dorsal fin highest anteriorly : ventral reaches as far as the anal, it has a short 

 backwardly-directed spine in front of the base of the outer ray of either fin, and also a horizontally similar but 

 larger one between the two fins. Second anal spine two-thirds as high as the rays : the length of the first few 

 anal rays equals four-ninths that of the fins base : caudal deeply lobed. Scales — fine and irregular on the body. 



