FAMILY, XII— SCL^STID^. 195 



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

 1/7 to 1/8 of length of head, 2 diameters from end of snout, and also apart. The greatest width of the head 

 equals half its length, height of head equals its length excluding the snout. Cleft of mouth oblique, the 

 anterior extremity of the upper jaw being on a level with the lower edge of the orbit : the maxilla reaches to 

 below the last third or hind edge of the eye : upper jaw overlaps the lower. The distance from the eye to the 

 upper jaw equals the diameter of the orbit. Posterior limb of preopercle oblique, and indistinctly crenulated 

 along its vertical border : two opercular points. Five open pores along the free edge of the skin of the snout, 

 no lateral lobe : four small open pores on the under surface of the lower jaw. Shoulder-flap fimbriated. Teeth — 

 villiform in the upper jaw, with an outer row of distantly placed, curved, conical ones in the premaxillaries : an 

 inner row of conical teeth in the lower jaw, with a few villiform ones externally. Fins — dorsal spines weak, 

 and as high as the posterior rays of the soft dorsal fin, the highest equalling about 2/5 in that of the body. 

 Pectoral equals the head behind the middle of the eyes. Ventral reaches half way to the anal. Second anal 

 spine weak, half as long as the rays and equal to 1/4 of the length of the head : the length of the base of the fin 

 is from 5-1- to 1/6 of that of the soft dorsal. Caudal wedge-shaped. Scales — cycloid, except on the body below 

 the lateral-line where they are feebly ctenoid. Lateral-line — on a row of thin scales, becoming straight above 

 the front edge of the anal fin : tubes well developed. Air-vessel — with 25 lateral processes, and a single long 

 projection on either side from the anterior extremity reaching to the posterior end of the air-vessel. Colours — 

 of a light brownish superiorly, tinged with gold on the abdomen, head shot with purple. 



Habitat. — Seas and estuaries of India to the Malay Archipelago and China. The longest specimen in 

 the Calcutta Museum is 42 inches. 



4. Sciaenoides brunneus, Plate XLV, fig. 6. 



Otoliihus brunneus, Day, Journal Linn. Soc. 1873, p. 524. 



B. vii, D. 9 | syVs, P. 18, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 17, L. 1. the, L. tr. 21/34. 



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

 diameter 1/7 to 1/8 of length of head, 1|- diameters from end of snout, and 2 apart. Width of the head equals 

 half its length, its height equals 3/5 of its length. The jaws of about equal length, or the lower slightly the 

 shorter. Cleft of mouth somewhat oblique, the maxilla reaches to below the hind edge of the eye. Preopercle 

 with a few widely separated serrations, most apparent at its rounded angle. Opercle with two obtuse points. 

 No open glands on snout : two badly marked pores on the front of the lower jaw below the symphysis. Shoulder- 

 lobe finely fimbriated along its free edge. Teeth — an outer row of curved conical teeth in the upper jaw, 

 having about two villiform rows internally, a small curved canine on either side of the centre of the upper jaw : 

 an outer villiform row and an inner single row of irregularly sized and rather distantly placed conical teeth 

 laterally in the lower jaw, with a small canine-like one on either side of the symphysis, having a few villiform 

 ones posteriorly, a few small teeth are present external to the enlarged row. Fins — dorsal spines weak and 

 having filamentous terminations, the third to the sixth of somewhat the same length, and equal to about 2-J in 

 the height of the body. Second dorsal highest in its last third, where it equals or exceeds that of the spinous 

 dorsal. Pectoral as long as the head posterior to the middle of the eye : ventral only reaches one-third of the 

 distance to the vent. Anal spines weak and short, 1/3 of length of rays, the length of the base of the fin equal 

 to 5-| or 1/6 of that of the soft dorsal. Caudal pointed. Scales — rather oval, cycloid, and transversely elongated 

 on the head, ctenoid and vertically elongated on the body : a few very fine ones over the bases of the soft dorsal 

 and anal fins. Lateral-line — gently curves to below the first fourth of the second dorsal, where it becomes 

 straight. Colours — brownish, becoming golden below : fins darkest externally. 



A specimen of this fish in the Berlin Museum is marked as having been received from Valenciennes, 

 marked Scicena pama, Bombay, with it was also sent the Scicenoides pama from the Ganges, having the same 

 designation. 



Habitat. — Bombay, where it is common in October, it attains at least 18 inches in length, the specimen 

 figured is 11 inches long. 



Genus, 4 — Otolithus, Cuv. 



Cynoscion, Anomiolepis, Apseudobranchus, Archoscion and Atractoscion, Gill. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobranchim. Body oblong. Eyes of moderate size. Snout a little pointed, 

 the lower jaw being the longer. Preopercle crenulated, serrated, or denticulated* No barbels. Villiform. teeth 

 in both jaws with the outer row in premaxillaries enlarged : ivell developed conical canines in both jaics or merely 

 in the upper, ,f they are usually received, when the mouth is closed, into fossce in the opposite jaw. A single roiu of widely 

 separated conical teeth in the lower jaw with occasionally a single outer row of villiform ones. Two dorsal fins united 

 at their bases, the first with nine or ten weak spines : anal with one or two small ones, and few rays (6-11). Scales 

 ctenoid or cycloid, and of moderate or small size. Air-vessel present, mostly with lateral appendages. Pyloric 

 appendages few. 



Uses. — Employed as food : its air-vessels collected for isinglass. 



* As a rule in the fry of Indian species the preopercle is denticulated or spinate. f Cynoscion, Gill. 



