FAMILY, X— KURTID^. 175 



Lateral-line — ceases opposite the end of the soft dorsal. Colours — silvery shot with steel-blue, or lilac : back 

 with fine black dots which behind the occiput form a rounded black spot. 



The young are not uncommon in the Sunderbunds about January and February. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. It attains at least 4J- inches in length, 

 and is most numerous on the Coromandel coast during the cold months. The specimen figured is a male from 

 Coconada. 



Genus, 2 — Pempheris, Ctvo. and Veil. 



Branchiostegals seven. Body oblong, compressed : head obtuse. Eyes large. Cleft of mouth oblique, with tie 

 lower jaio prominent. Opercle with a small spine. Villiform teeth on the jaws, vomer, and palatine bones. A single 

 short dorsal fin with six spines and nine rays : anal with three spines and many rays. Scales small, extended over the 

 anal fin. Air-vessel divided into an anterior and posterior portion. Pyloric appendages few. 



Geographical distribution. — Red Sea, seas of India, to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



SYNOPSIS OP SPECIES. 



1. Pempheris mangula, D. f, A. 4-2-T61 -'-'■ 1- 60-64. Byes, diameter 2f to 2£ in length of head : height 

 of body 3| in the total. Silvery, dorsal black tipped. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



2. Pempheris Molucca, D. f , A. -j-q?^, I j - 1- 56. Eyes, diameter half the length of head : height of body 

 2/5 of the total. Silvery, fins stained with darker. Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



1. Pempheris mangula, Plate XLII, fig. 3. 



Sparus mangula-hutti, Russell, Fish. Vizag. ii, p. 10, pi. 114. 



Pempheris mangula, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 304 ; Bleek. Chsetod. p. 30 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 509 ; Kner, 

 Novara Fische, p. 171 ; Klunz. Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1871, p. 469 ; Garrett, F. d. Sudsee, t. lix, f. B. 



Pempheris Otaitensis, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 304, pi. 191 ; Less. Voy. Coc. p. 197 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 

 508; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 171. 



? Pemplieris Vanicolensis et nesogallica, Cuv. and Val. vii, pp. 305, 306. 



B. vii, D. f, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. „*„> C. 17, L. 1. 60-64. 



Length of head 1/5, of caudal 1/5, height of body 3/10 of the total length. Eyes — diameter from 2y to 

 2 1 in the length of head. Interorbital space slightly concave. The maxilla reaches to below the middle of the 

 eye. Preopercle having rather a strong denticulation on its intramarginal edge near the angle. Teeth — 

 villiform in jaws, vomer, and palate. Fins — soft dorsal highest anteriorly, rapidly decreasing in height to the 

 last ray. Pectoral a little longer than the head. Ventral reaches the anal fin. Anterior portion of the anal the 

 highest and equal to two-fifths of that of the body : caudal emarginate. Colours — violet-brown superiorly, 

 becoming silvery below. Fins roseate with fine dots : axilla and base of pectoral light coloured. 



Habited. — Seas of India and beyond. The specimen figured (6 inches long) is from Madras, where at times 

 it is abundant.. Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 134, observes this fish is termed Moonda-hun-heirawa, Tamil. 



2. Pempheris Molucca, Plate XLII, fig. 2. 



Pempheris Molucca, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 306 ; Cuv. Reg. Anim. El. Poiss. pi. 44, f. 2 ; Temm. 

 and Schleg. Fauna Japon, p. 85, pi. 44, fig. 3; Richards. Ich. China, p. 244; Cantor, Catal. p. 175; Giinther, 

 Catal. ii, p. 509 ; Day, Fishes of Malabar, p. 108. 



Pempheris Malabeirica, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 308. 



B. vii, D. f, P. 18, V. 1/5, A. M ! w , C. 17, L. 1. 56, Ceec. Pyl. 6-7, Vert. 10/14. 



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

 length of the head, 3/4 of a diameter apart. The maxilla reaches to below the middle of the orbit. Preopercle 

 entire, but having three somewhat spinate denticulations along its intra-marginal border. Teeth — in jaws, 

 vomer, and palate. Fins — dorsal spines weak, increasing in length to the last which is scarcely so high as the 

 first rays, the soft portion decreases posteriorly in height. Pectoral as long as the head. Ventral short : anal 

 highest in front : caudal forked. Scales — the rows along the lateral-line larger than the others. Colours — 

 silvery-grey, upper third of the dorsal rays black : pectorals orange, and usually having a dark base ; anal rather 

 dark anteriorly and interiorly : caudal with its posterior margin stained grey. 



It is suggested by Cuv. and Val. that Curtus macrolepielotus, Bl. Sclm. p. 164, which is said to have large 

 scales with their edges dotted with red, subvertical eyes and B. 2, D. -fa, P. 12, V. 1/5, A. -Jj-, C. 22, from 

 Tranquebar, may be this species : the ^j- being a misprint for -jL-. More information is however necessary before 

 this point can be decided. 



This species is very abundant off the Sind coast, and found through the seas of India to Japan. 



Habitat. — Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. The specimen figured (6 inches 

 long) is from Kurrachee. 



