226 ACANTH0PTERYG1I. 



the first rays, last dorsal ray thickened but not prolonged. Pectoral falciform, and from as long as, to slightly 

 longer than the head. Ventral reaches half-way to the anal. Caudal rather deeply forked. Scales — 

 over body, chest, behind the eyes, and on the upper portion of the opercles. No sheath to the soft dorsal and 

 anal fins. Lateral-line — consisting of 105 scales, anteriorly moderately bent and becoming straight below the 

 fourth or fifth dorsal rays where the plates commence, they soon become pretty well developed, the depth of the 

 largest equalling from 1/11 to 1/13 of that of the body. Free portion of the tail longer than high. 

 Colours — silvery, shot with gold : first dorsal deep black, anal with a white edge. A wide dark band along the 

 second dorsal, having its upper anterior comer white. 



Selar or Caranx malam, Bleeker, Makr. p. 363, and Bintang, 1868, p. 5, should from its generic name 

 have teeth on the vomer and palate. This species would be a Hemicaranx, Bleeker. 



Habitat. — Madras and Andamans. The specimen figured is 9 inches long, and from the Andamans. 



26. Caranx speciosus. 



Scomber speciosus, Forsk. p. 54; Gmel. Linn. 1332; Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 603. 



Caranx speciosus, Lacep. hi, p. 72, pi. i, fig. 1 ; Cuv. and Val. ix, p. 130 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 133 ; Jerdon, 

 M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 137 ; Peters, Wieg. Arch. 1855, p. 245 ; Gunther, Catal. ii, p. 444 ; Day, Fishes of 

 Malabar, p. 84 ; Klunz. Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1871, p. 455. 



Scomber, Russell, Fish. Vizag. ii, p. 36, and Poloosoo parah, pi. 149. 



Caranx petaurista, Geoff. Desc. Eg. pi. 23, f. 1 (not Riippell). 



Zonichthjs subcarinata, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 248. 



Gnathanodon speciosus, Bleeker, Makr. p. 72. 



Caranx poloosoo, Richards. Voy. Erebus and Terror, Ich. pi. 58, f. 4, 5. 



B. vii, D. 7-8 | ^ w , P. 22, V. 1/5, A. 2 | „^ C. 19, L. 1. 13-15. 



Length of head 4J-, of caudal 4|, height of body 3 \ in the total length. Eyes— in the centre of the depth 

 of the head, without anterior or posterior adipose lids, but the skin extends slightly over the edge of the eye all 

 round : diameter of eyes 1/4 to 2/9 of length of head, 1| diameters from end of snout. Body oval and strongly 

 compressed. Interorbital space much elevated, having a crest along its centre. The greatest width of the 

 head equals 2j in its length : whilst its height equals its length. Jaws of equal length anteriorly. The cleft of 

 the mouth commences from opposite the lower edge of the eye, and the posterior extremity of the maxilla 

 reaches to below the first third or centre of the orbit. Greatest depth of preorbital eqiials 1 diameter of eye. 

 Pre- sub- and inter-opercles finely serrated in the young, crenulated or entire in the adult. Teeth — absent from 

 jaws and palate. Fins — spines of first dorsal weak, the length of the third or the highest being equal to 1/4 of 

 that of the body, interspinous membrane rather deeply emarginate : the recumbent spine anterior to the 

 fin is very distinct in the young. Anterior portion of second dorsal the highest, decreasing to the ninth, from 

 whence it remains the same height, the anterior rays equal 2| in the height of the body, upper edge of fin 

 emarginate. Pectoral falcate longer than the head, and reaching to above the eleventh dorsal ray. The second 

 of the anal free spines the longest. Anal fin commences on the vertical below the fifth dorsal ray and is of 

 similar form to the second dorsal. Caudal deeply forked. Scales — small, some on cheeks, upper edge of 

 opercle, and superiorly to above the hind third of the eye, none on the interorbital crest. Body and chest 

 scaled. Lateral-line — about 106 rows along its whole course, the first portion of the lateral-line to below the 

 sixth or eighth dorsal ray forms a long curve, from thence it proceeds direct to the centre of the tail, in the first 

 portion of its straight course the plates are small, the last thirteen to fifteen are pretty well developed, and equal 

 about 1/15 of the height of the body. Colours — golden, with vertical black bands alternately narrow and 

 wide, going from the dorsal to the ventral surfaces. The first wide band descends obliquely through the eye, 

 whilst on the body are five more wide bands, the first going over the shoulder touching the hind edge of the 

 opercle, and the last over the free portion of the tail, between these wide ones are intermediate narrow ones. 

 Dorsal fin minutely dotted with fine black points : upper edge of soft dorsal gray, end of caudal lobes black : 

 anal golden. Adults are said to become of an uniform colour, a statement I have not been able to verify. 



This species is termed Pathi parah and Pilli parah, Tarn., in Sir W. Elliot's collection of drawings offish. 



Habitat. — From the Red Sea throughout the seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond : it 

 attains at least three feet in length, and at which size I have observed the colours to be still distinct. 



Genus, 2 — Miceopteetx, Agass. 



Seriola, sp. Cuv. : Chloroscombrus, Gir. : Micropus, Kner (not Gray). 



Branchiostegals seven. Body compressed : abdomen prominent and trenchant. Gape of mouth rather small. 

 Teeth feeble, present on vomer and palatines. Two dorsal fins, the first with 7 spines, and a recumbent, anteriorly- 

 directed one in front of the base of the fin : the second and the anal considerably more developed and ivithout finlets 

 posteriorly: two pre-anal spines. Scales small. Lateral-line smooth. Air-vessel bifurcated posteriorly. Pyloric 

 appendages in moderate numbers. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Micropteryx chrysurus, D. 7 | ^yy, A. 2 | j-g-Ve- Colour of body uniform, a dark square blotch on 

 the back of the tail. Ventrals white. Pondieherry," West coast of Africa, Atlantic coasts of temperate and 

 tropical America. 



