204 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



high, as the soft dorsal : caudal emarginate. Scales — very small, rough and rudimentary on head and chest. 

 Lancet-shaped spine with a posterior process. Least depth of free portion of the tail equals 3/7 of the length of 

 the head. Colours — blue, head dark brown or black, chest white, as is also a ring on the lower part of the 

 mouth, ascending to its angle. A broad bluish band passes down the shoulder to the axilla, which last has a 

 triangular brown patch. A narrow crescentic black band across the base of the caudal, and continued along 

 the upper and lower edges of the fin, a second wide one along the last fourth of the fin, and having a white 

 outer border. Other fins stained gray at their edges. 



Habitat.— East coast of Africa, Mauritius, Ceylon, to the Malay Archipelago. The above description is 

 taken from the type specimen sent by Dr. Sibbald to the British Museum. 



3. Acanthurus aurolineatus, Plate XL VIII, fig. 3. 



B. v, D. &, P. 18, V. 1/5, A. A, C. 17. 



Length of head 4-J-, of caudal 5\, height of body 2/5 of the total length. Eyes — high up, diameter 1/3 of 

 length of head, 1|- diameters from end of snout, and 1 apart. Preopercle entire. Upper profile of head rather 

 convex. Teeth— on either side eight lobate ones in the upper, and eight or nine in the lower jaw. Fins — last 

 dorsal spine 2/5 of the height of the body and of about the same length as the rays, last portion of the fin 

 and of the anal rather angular, interspinous membrane very slightly emarginate. Pectoral about as long as 

 the head ; third anal spine rather above half the length of the head. Caudal emarginate. Scales — on head 

 minute, very small on the body, about twenty rows between the lateral-line and base of the last dorsal spine. 

 Lancet-shaped spine with a posterior process. Least depth of the free portion of the tail equal to 1 diameter of 

 the orbit. Colours — a general yellowish tinge, with yellow horizontal lines along the body about 1/2 the 

 width of the ground colour, which is bluish. A narrow lightish band over the base of the caudal. Dorsal and 

 anal fins bluish, with several longitudinal yellow bands as seen on the body. 



The specimen, figured life-size, is from the collection of Sir W. Elliot, K.C.S.I., and was captured at 

 Waltair some years since. 



Habitat. — Coromandel coast of India. 



4. Acanthurus triostegus, Plate XLVIII, fig. 2. 



Chcetodon triostegus, Linn. Sys. i, p. 463. 



Acanthurus triostegus, Bl. Schn. p. 215; Cuv. and Val. x, p. 197; Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 255; Bleeker, 

 Teuth. p. 13 ; Jenyns, Voy. Beagle, Fishes, p. 75 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 138 ; Giinther, Catal. iii, 

 p. 327. 



Chcetodon mootah, Russell, Fish. Vizag. i, p. 66, pi. 84. 



Harpurus fasciatus, Forst. Desc. Anim. ed. Licht. p. 216. 



Chcetodon zebra, Lacep. iii, pi. 25, f. 3. 



Acanthurus zebra, Lacep. iv, p. 546, pi. vi, f. 3. 



Chcetodon conagga, Lacep. iv, p. 727. 



Acanthurus hirudo, Benn. Fish. Ceylon, p. 11, pi. xi. 



Teuthis Australis, Gray in King's Survey Australia, ii, p. 435. 



Acanthurus suba/rmatus, Benn. Whaling Voy. ii, p. 278. 



Bhombotides triostegus, Bleeker, Solor, 1868, p. 2. 



Mootah, Tel. : Kara-pamoowah, Cing. 



B. v, D. „s„ P. 15, V. 1/5, A. w ^ rw , C. 17. 



Length of head 3f to 1/4, of caudal 1/5, height of body 2-|- to 2f in the total length. Eyes — diameter 

 2/7 of length of head, 2 to 2i diameters from end of snout, and 1 to If apart. Profile from above the orbit 

 to the snout rather concave. Teeth — eight lobate incisors on either side of the upper jaw, and nine or ten on 

 either side of the lower. Fins — dorsal spines moderately strong, the last 1/5 higher than the longest ray, and 

 equal to 3f or 1/4 of the height of the body. Pectoral 4/5 as long as the head. Caudal lunated. Scales — 

 rudimentary and cycloid on the head, small and ctenoid on the body : about twenty rows between the lateral- 

 line and the last dorsal spine. Lancet-shaped spine with a sharp posterior process. Least depth of free 

 portion of the tail equal to about 1| diameters of the orbit. Colours — greenish, with a brownish tinge along 

 the back. One vertical dark band along the snout, a second through the orbit, four down the body, and one 

 over the base of the caudal fin, the last being in the form of two rounded blotches, one above, the other below 

 the lateral-line. Fins stained darkish. 



Habitat. — Seas of India, to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. The specimen figured is from the 

 Andaman islands, where it is common. As Jerdon observes this species is rare at Madras. 



5. Acanthurus Tennentii. 



Giinther, Catal. iii, p. 337. 



B. v, D. &, P 17, V. 1/5, A. T \, C. 17. 



Length of head 2/9, of caudal 2/11, height of body 2/5 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 2/7 of 

 length of head, 2| diameters from the end of snout. Nostrils 2/3 the length of the head from the end of 

 the snout. Teeth — eight lobate incisors on either side of the upper, and eight on either side of the lower jaw. 



