194 ACANTH0PTERYG1I. 



Scicena pama, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 55, pi. 101 ; Bleeker, Verb. Bat. Gen. xxv, p. 92. 



Scicenoides pama, Blyth, Proc. Asia. Soc. Beng. 1860, p. 139. 



Collichthys pama, Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 316. 



Scicenoides Hardwichii, Blyth, J. A. S. of Beng. 1860, p. 139 {young). 



Ven begti, Ooriah and Hind. : Coii bola, Bengali : Botnl, Ooriah : Nga-pouss-was, Mugh. 



B. vii, D. 10 | t^jt, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 17, L. 1. |f, L. tr. 9/25, Vert. 24, Csec. pyl. 9. 



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

 1/7 to 1/8 of the length of head, 2 diameters from end of snout, and from 2g- to 3 apart. Greatest width of 

 the head equals If of its length : its height equals its length excluding the snout. Snout not much swollen. 

 Cleft of mouth oblique, the maxilla reaching to below or even behind the hind edge of the orbit : lower jaw 

 slightly the shorter. The distance between the eye and the maxilla equals about 1^ diameters of the orbit. 

 Preopercle crenulated, with denticulations at its angle most distinct in the young : opercle with two points. 

 Snout with two open pores on its anterior surface, and two more opening on the free edge of the skin : 

 lower jaw with a small open pore a little below and to one side of the symphysis. Shoulder-flap having 

 its edge with numerous long ciliffi. Teeth — villiform in the upper jaw, with an outer row of large, distantly 

 placed, curved, and conical ones, largest near the symphysis. An inner row of widely placed, conical teeth 

 in the lower jaw, with an outer villiform series. Fins — dorsal spines weak, with filamentous terminations, the 

 third and fourth the longest and equal to 2| in the height of the body, and nearly twice as long as the rays. 

 Pectoral pointed and as long as the head. Ventral reaches half way to the vent. Second anal spine weak, 

 1/3 to 2/7 of the length of the rays and equal to 1 diameter of the orbit : length of the base of the fin equal to 

 1/8 of that of the soft dorsal. Caudal wedge-shaped, its central rays much the longest. Scales — cycloid on the 

 head, ctenoid on the body. Lateral-line — on a raised row of scales, becomes straight above the middle of the 

 anal fin, its tubes being very arborescent posteriorly. Air-vessel — dividing anteriorly into two short processes, 

 whilst springing from near its posterior extremity are two more long processes which extend anteriorly as far as 

 the auditory apparatus. Colours — light brownish along the back, becoming white beneath : head shot with gold 

 and purple. Fins yellowish, the upper half of the dorsal gray, as is also the last half of the caudal. 



It is termed ' whiting ' in Calcutta, and is light and wholesome if cooked whilst fresh, but it rapidly 

 becomes soft and tasteless after death. 



Habitat. — Bay of Bengal, entering estuaries and rivers as far as the tide extends, it attains at least 5 feet 

 in length. 



2. Scisenoides microdon, Plate XLV, fig. 2. 

 Otolithus microdon, Bleeker, Madura, p. 10, Sciasn. p. 16, Java, p. 99. 

 Scicena microdon, Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 294. 



Collichthys microdon, Bleeker, Mem. Scien. 1874, p. 16. 



B. vii, D. 8-9 | 3^, P. 19, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 18, L. 1. f|, L- tr. 11/20, Csec. pyl. 6. 



Length of head 1/4, of caudal 2/9, height of body 2/11 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 1/6 of length 

 of head, 1 \ diameters from end of snout, and 2\ apart. The greatest width of head equals half to 2/3 its length, 

 its height equals its length excluding the snout. Snout not overhanging the jaws, the lower slightly prominent 

 opposite the symphysis. Cleft of mouth oblique, the maxilla at its anterior extremity on a level with 

 the middle of the eye, posteriorly it reaches to below the hind edge of the orbit. Edges of the preopercle 

 finely serrated : an opercular spine. Three open pores along the free edge of the skin at the snout, but no 

 lateral lobe. Four large open pores along the under side of the lower jaw near the symphysis. Teeth — 

 villiform in both jaws, an outer row of distantly placed, curved, conical ones in the premaxillaries : an 

 inner row of widely separated conical ones in the lower jaw, and an outer villiform series. Fins — dorsal spines 

 increase in length from the third to the fifth which are 1/4 higher than the rays and equal to 1/2 the height of 

 the body. Pectoral equals the length of the head excluding the snout. Ventral reaches half way to the anal. 

 Second anal spine equals half the height of the rays. Caudal wedge-shaped. Scales— cycloid in the young, 

 ctenoid on the body, in larger specimens especially below the lateral-line. Lateral-line — curves to opposite the 

 commencement of the anal fin. Colours — brown, becoming lighter on the sides and beneath. Fins yellow, 

 dorsal and anal tipped with blackish. 



Habitat. — The specimen which is figured life-size came from Bombay. If it is identical with Bleeker's 

 species it is also found in the Malay Archipelago. A larger specimen (9 inches) from Orissa was a female, with 

 the air-vessel as in S. biauritus. 



3. Scisenoides biauritus, Plate XLVH, fig- 1. 

 Otolithus biauritus, Cantor, Catal. p. 57 ; Bleeker, Borneo, p. 3. 

 Scicenoides biauritus, Blyth, J. A. S. of Beng. 1860, p. 139. 



Collichthys biauritus, Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 315, and Zool. Record, iii, p. 143 : Bleeker, Mem. Scien. 



1874, p. 15. ' 



B. vii, D. 9 1 ^1^3, P. 19, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 17, L. 1. VV, L- <*■ 12/25, Ca3C. pyl. 13. 



* The fry do not appear at all like the adult. I took a number in the Sunderbunds, and at 2£ inches in length the height of 

 the body is only 1/4 to 2/9 of that of the total, the preopercle is strongly denticulated, with 2 or 3 spines at its angle. 



