196 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Habitat. — Seas of India, the Malay Archipelago and beyond ; residents in most tropical seas, some are 

 said to be found in fresh water. In India they are rarely if ever taken above tidal reach. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Otolithus macnlatus, D. 9-10 | -^, A. tqHttj ^- 1- ti- Large canines in both jaws. Grayish, five or sis 

 rows of black spots along the body and caudal fin. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



2. Otolithus ruber, D. 10 | a-si-g-n A. -f-, L. 1. -ff. Width of head 2-J in its length. Large canines in both 

 jaws. Brownish-red shot with silver. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



3. Otolithus argenteus, D. 10 | -j-sVo, A. f, L. 1. f-J. Width of head equals If to 1/2 its length. Large 

 canines in both jaws. Silvery, four narrow gray longitudinal bands along the sides. Seas of India to the Malay 

 Archipelago. 



1. Otolithus maculatus, Plate XL VI, fig. 4. 



Cuv. Regn. Anim. Poiss. t. xxvii, f. 2 ; Cuv. and Val. v, p. 64 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 62 ; Blyth, J. A. S. of 

 Beng. 1860, p. 140 ; Bleeker, Sciasn. p. 15, and Memoire Scien. 1874, p. 12 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 310 ; Day, 

 P. Z. S. 1865, p. 300. 



? Otolithus bispinosus, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 65 ; Blyth, J. A, S. of Beng. 1860, p. 141 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, 

 p. 310 (?. young). 



Birralli, Ooriah. 



B. vii, D. 9-10 | 3L P. 18, V. 1/5, A. ^5^, C. 17, L. 1. ff, L. tr. 14/26. 



Length of head 3-|- to 4{ r , of caudal 1/8, height of body 5-J- to one-sixth in the total length. Eyes — diameter 

 1/6 to 1/7 of length of head, Ly diameters from end of snout, and 11 apart. Greatest width of head equals 

 from If to 2 in its length, its height equals its length behind the middle of the eye. Cleft of mouth oblique, 

 lower jaw the longer, the maxilla reaches to below the last third or hind edge of the eye. Edge of preopercle 

 more crenulated than denticulated (spinate in the young) : opercle with two weak points. Skin of snout with 

 three small open orifices along its free border but no lateral lobe. No open pores visible below lower jaw. 

 Shoulder-flap crenulated. Teeth — a long strong canine on either side of the synrphysis of the lower jaw, and on 

 either side of the upper just external to those in the mandibles : a row of widely separated conical and pointed 

 teeth along the sides of the lower jaw : and villiform teeth in the upper with an external row of conical and 

 curved ones. Fins — dorsal spines weak with filamentous terminations, they increase in length to about the fifth 

 which equals 2/3 of the height of the body and is a third higher than the rays. Pectoral equals the height of 

 the head. Ventral reaches about one-third of the distance to the anal. Second anal spines weak, 1/2 the height 

 of the first ray, and 1/4 of that of the body : length of the base of the anal fin equals 1/3 of that of the soft 

 dorsal. Caudal wedge-shaped or rounded. Scales — cycloid, and in very irregular rows. Lateral-line — becomes 

 straight above the middle of the anal fin. Air-vessel — with about 54 lateral appendages on either side. Colours — 

 grayish in the upper part of the body, golden below : five or six rows of black spots along the body and caudal 

 fin : the other fins stained with gray at their edges. 



Some fry, apparently of this species, which I captured in the Sunderbunds, March 1874, had the body 

 gray, fins black except the tail which was white. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, attaining at least 16 inches in length. It is very 

 common in the sea and estuaries of Orissa and lower Bengal. 



2. Otolithus ruber. 



Johnius ruber, Bl. Schn. p. 75, t. xvii. 



Otolithus ruber, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 60, pi. 102 ; Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 219 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 59 ; Jerdon, 

 M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 131 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 309 ; Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 57 ; Bleeker, Memoire Scien. 

 1874, p. 11. 



Otolithus submaculatus, Blyth, J. A. S. of Beng. 1860, p. 141. 



B. vii, D. 10 I sTjira P. 17, V. 1/5, A. V 3 , C. 17, L. 1. HEJf, L. tr. 7/17, Ccec. pyl. 4-5. 



Length of head 1/4 to 2/7, of caudal 1/6 to 2/13, height of body 1/4 to 5£ in the total length. Eyes— 

 diameter 1/4 to 1/5 or even 1/6 of length of head, nearly 1 diameter from end of snout, and 1-j apart. Greatest 

 width of head equals 2\ in its length, and its height its length excluding the snout. Cleft of mouth rather 

 oblique, the maxilla reaches to below the last third of the eye : nostrils opposite the upper third of the 

 orbit. Preopercle scarcely denticulated : two opercular spines. Shoulder-flap entire. The distance between 

 the eye and the upper jaw equals two-thirds of the diameter of the eye in extent. Teeth — on either side of the 

 symphysis of the upper jaw a pair of large canines, and an inner villiform band, also an outer row of conically 

 curved ones, occasionally even between the canines : in the lower jaw a central (sometimes a second) curved 

 canine having a few villiform teeth behind it, and a lateral row of distantly placed conical teeth. Fins —dorsal 

 spines slender, the second and third equalling from 2 to 2-1- times in the height of the body, and from 1/2 to 2/3 

 higher than the rays. Pectoral as long as the head excluding the snout. The ventral does not reach quite half 

 way to the vent. First anal spine minute or wanting, the length of the second equals about 2/5 of that of the 

 first ray, the length of the base of the anal fin about 1/6 in that of the soft dorsal. Caudal wedge-shaped. 

 Scales — cycloid. Lateral-line — gradually curves to above the middle or end of the anal : the tubes arborescent 



