FAMILY, XII— SCLENTEvE. 189 



wedge-shaped in the young, rounded in the adult. Scales — cycloid on head, elsewhere ctenoid, fine ones covering 

 the bases of the soft dorsal and anal, and in the adult the whole of the caudal fin ; those anterior to the base of 

 the first dorsal fin are much smaller than those posteriorly. Lateral-line — becomes straight opposite the anal fin : 

 the tubes are arborescent posteriorly. Colours — silvery, with a light streak along each row of scales, the first 

 dorsal in the young with a black interspinous membrane, but only having a black outer edge in the adult : 

 second dorsal stained gray at the upper third. A dark bluish mark on the opercles, most distinct in the young. 

 Ventral, anal, and caudal yellowish. 



In Indian specimens there are as a rule only nine spines in the first dorsal fin, and the first of these is very 

 short. 



The two figures show the marine form (fig. 4) at 8i inches in length, the tail is longer and the colours 

 much lighter. Fig. 6 is the estuary species as found off Calcutta, the back is dark and the lower surface brilliant 

 golden : a dark spot on the axilla. 



Habitat. — Seas of India (China ?) : termed Sa/pe hatele at Pondicherry. It is a common species, but not 

 in much esteem for the table, it attains at least 3 feet in length. 



9. Sciasna diacanthus. 



Lutjanus diacanthus, Lacep. iv, pp. 195, 244. 

 Labrus nella Jcatchelee, Russell, ii, p. 11, pi. 115. 

 Labrus hatchelee, Russell, ii, p. 12, pi. 116 (young). 

 Bola chaptis, Ham. Buch. Fish. Ganges, pp. 77, 368, pi. 10, f. 25. 

 Johnius cataleus, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 128 ; Blyth, J. A. S. of Beng. 1860, p. 141. 

 Johnius chaptis, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 130 ; Blyth, J. A. S. of Beng. 1860, p. 141. 



Corvina catalea, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 128 ; Belanger, Voy. Ind. Orient, p. 360 ; Richards. Ich. China, 

 p. 226 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 131 ; Bleeker, Scieen. p. 18. 

 Corvina platycephala, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 132. 



Sciama maculata, Gray and Hardw. Bl. Ind. Zool. ii, p. 89, f. 1 (young). 



Johnius diacanthus, Cantor, Catal. p. 67 ; Bleeker, Java, p. 326 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 133. 

 Johnius Valenciennei, Eyd. Soul. Voy. Bonito, i, p. 150, t. i, f. 2. 

 Johnius maculatus, Blyth, J. A. S. of Beng. 1860, p. 141. 

 Sciosna diacanthus, Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 290. 

 Pseudoscimna diacanthus, Bleeker, Mem. Scien. 1874, p. 27. 



B. vii, D. 10 | 23^, P. 18-19, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 17, L. 1. if, L. tr. 7/18, Case. pyl. 8. 



Length of head 1/4 to 4|, of caudal 1/6, height of body 4^ to 1/5 of the total length. Eyes — 

 diameter 4<\ to 1/6 of length of head, 1-^ to li diameters from end of snout, and also apart. Greatest width of 

 the head equals If in its length, and the height equals its length excluding the snout. Snout slightly inflated, 

 upper jaw a little the longer, cleft of mouth oblique, the maxilla reaches to below the last third of the orbit. The 

 distance from the eye to the upper jaw equals 2/3 of the diameter of the orbit. Margin of preopercle crennlated 

 in the adult, in the immature the angle is denticulated : two opercular points. Snout with three open pores 

 across its base, and three openings along the free edge of the skin, but no lateral lobe. Five open pores under 

 the symphysis of the lower jaw. Shoulder-flap finely serrated. Teeth — villiform in either jaw, with an outer row 

 of curved, conical, and distantly placed ones in the premaxillaries, and an inner enlarged row in the mandibles. 

 Fins —dorsal spines weak, increasing in length to the third and fourth which are 1/4 higher than the rays, and 

 2 to 2^ in the height of the body. Pectoral equals the length of the head behind the middle of the eyes. 

 Ventral reaches nearly half way to the base of the anal. Second anal spine moderately strong, at least half as 

 long as the rays and equal to 2| in the length of the head : the length of the base of the fin equals 1/3 to 2,7 of 

 the base of the soft dorsal. Caudal wedge-shaped. ' Scales — ctenoid except on the snout and below the eyes. 

 Lateral-line — becomes straight above the end of the anal fin, the tubes are arborescent posteriorly. Colours — 

 brownish-gray shot with silver along the back, which below the lateral-line gradually fades to dull silvery-gray, 

 head of the same colour glossed with purple. Fins yellowish, with black dots. Eyes golden. In the immature 

 as up to a foot and a half in length or even more, the fins are grayish with dark edges, and the dorsal has two 

 rows of dark spots : the caudal also has black spots and a black edge. In still younger specimens the back and 

 upper half of the body has many black spots, and the young are as a rule vertically banded. 



Russell observes that his plate 116, or the maculata, Gray and Hard, was believed by the fishermen to be 

 the female : I have dissected many males however having this form of colour. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and China, attaining at least 5 feet in length : it 

 ascends tidal rivers and estuaries, and is found in the Hooghly as high as Calcutta. 



10. Sciaena aneus, Plate XLV, fig. 5. 

 Johnius aneus, Bloch, t. 357. 

 Corvina anei, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 131. 



? Corvina sina, Schleg. Fauna Japon, p. 58, pi. 24, f. 2 (not Cuv. and Val.) 

 Otolithus macrophthalmus, Bleeker, Sciasna, p. 16, and Java, Gen. et Spec. nov. p. 99. 

 Scicena -macrophthalmus, Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 291. 

 Otolithus aneus, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1867, p. 939. 

 Corvina macrophthalmus, Bleeker, Bintang, p. 292. 



