246 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Family, XVII— STROMATELLm 



Stromateince, Swainson. 



Branchiostegals from five to seven : pseudobranchise. Body oblong or slightly elongated and compressed 

 Gill-openings wide. Eyes lateral. The infraorbital bones do not articulate with the preopercle. Small 

 teeth in the jaws, palate edentulous : barbed teeth extend into the oesophagus. One long dorsal fin without 

 any distinct spinous division, or with rudimentary spines anteriorly: ventrals, when present, thoracic. 

 No prominent papilla near the vent. Air-vessel, when present, small. Pyloric appendages few, in moderate 

 numbers, or numerous. Vertebras exceed 10-14. 



Geographical distribution. — Found in most tropical and temperate seas. 



SYNOPSIS IN INDIVIDUAL GENUS. 



Genus, 1- — Stromateus, Artedi. 



Peprilus, Cuv. : Apolectus, Cuv. and Val. (young having ventral fins) : Rhombus (ventrals reduced to a 

 spine), (Lacep.) Cuv. and Val.: Seserinus (with minute ventrals), Cuv. and Val.: Stromateoides, Bleeker: 

 Ghondroplites and Poronotus, Gill. 



Branchiostegals from five to seven : pseudobranchiw. Body compressed, more or less elevated. Cleft of 

 mouth narrow or of moderate depth. Teeth small, in a single row in the jaws : palate and tongue edentulous : 

 msopihagus armed with numerous barbed teeth. A single long dorsal and anal fin, having rudimentary spines 

 anteriorly : ventral fins not present in the adult stage. Scales small, covering the vertical fins. Lateral-line, as a 

 rule, smooth (heeled in 8. niger). Air-vessel absent. Pyloric appendages numerous. 



After examining very numerous specimens of fish of this genus in the fish markets of India, I could not 

 resist the belief that reduced as the number of species had been from what were formerly recognized, a still 

 further reduction might still be necessary. I have been unable to convince myself of more than three 

 distinct species, which may be recognised in the fry and immature by the following characters. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Stromateus Sinensis, D. 43-50, A. 39-42. Caudal lobes of about equal length. No free spines before 

 dorsal or anal fins. Seas, of India to China. 



2. Stromateus cinereus, D. 5-9 | -5-6V3! -A-. 5-6 | ^ ¥l . Lower caudal lobe much the longer. Free, 

 truncated, spines before both dorsal and anal fins. Seas of India to China. 



3. Stromateus niger, D. s^-Si, A. g-g-Vg. Ventral fins present in the young. Last portion of lateral- 

 line keeled. Deep brown colour. Seas of India to China. 



1. Stromateus Sinensis, Plate LI, C. fig. 6 (young). 



Euphrasin, Vetensk. Acad. Nya Handl. Stockh. ix, p. 49, t. ix ; Bl. Schn. p. 492 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 140 ; 

 Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 76. 



Stromateus atoo hoia, Russell, Fish. Vizag. i, p. 33, pi. 44. 



Stromateus atous, Cuv. and Val. ix, p. 389 ; Richards. Ich. China, p. 273 ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, 

 p. 137 ; Gtinther, Catal. ii, p. 399. 



Stromateus albus, Cuv. and Val. ix, p. 388 ; Cantor, Ann. and Mag. ix, p. 15. 



Stromateus candidus, Bleeker, Ich. M. O. Java, p. 9 (not Cuv. and Val.). 



Stromateoides atoohoia, Bleeker, Makr. p. 369, and Makr. p. 76. 



Vella arwoolee, Mai. ; Mogang voval, Tam. ; White pomfret. 



B. vi, D. 43-50, P. 25, A. 39-42, C. 19. 



Length of head 4f to 5, of pectoral 3£ to 4, of caudal 4-L to 5, height of body If to 1\ in the total length. 

 Eyes — diameter 3J to 4j in length of head, 2/3 to 1 diameter from end of snout, and If apart. Dorsal and 

 abdominal profiles about equally convex. The lower jaw the longer, especially in young specimens : the 

 maxilla reaches to beneath the first third of the eye. Teeth — in a fine single row in each jaw, becoming lost 

 with age. Fins — first four or five dorsal rays very short, and not appearing above the skin, its anterior 

 portion is similar to that of the anal and equals the length of the pectoral fin. First five anal rays short but 

 not appearing above the skin. Caudal with equal lobes, in the young it is slightly emarginate. Even in the young 

 there is no trace of any ventral fins. Scales — small and very deciduous, especially in the immature, in the adult 

 they cover the vertical fins. Colours — upper surface of head and body as far as the lateral-line of a deep neutral- 

 tint, the rest of the body with a mixture of brownish-gray, having metallic reflections, becoming lighter and 

 silvery towards the abdomen : it is dotted all over with brown, the larger spots having a silvery point in their 

 centre. Fins silvery-gray, marginal half blackish. Cavity of the mouth and tongue pale bluish-gray with 

 brown dots, silvery in the centre. Iris reddish-silver or copper coloured, minutely dotted with brown. The 

 young are gray, the head covered with irregularly star-shaped spots, and the fins nearly black, especially 

 at their edges. 



Jerdon observes, I. c, " this is by far the finest eating of all the genus." Russell, however, says, " though 

 alike in colour, this fish is very different from the Stromateus cinereus of Bloch ; which is specifically 

 characterized by the length of the lower lobe of the caudal fin," (p. 34.) 



Habitat. — Seas of India, Malay Archipelago, and China. This species of Pomfret is that most esteemed 

 for eating : in Malabar it is by no means rare during the S. W. monsoon (from June till September.) It 



