FAMILY, XXVI— CATAPHRACTI, 279 



Family, XXVI— CATAPHRACTI, Cuv. 



Branchiostegals one to six : pseudobranchiae present or absent. Infraorbital bones articulate with the 

 preopercle. Head and body more or less angular, cuirassed with plates, or keeled scales entirely 

 cover the body. The opercular pieces may or may not be anchylosed to one another. Teeth present or absent 

 in the jaws, in one species present on the vomer. One or two dorsal fins : pectorals may be simple, with or 

 without free rays, or they may be divided by a notch into two portions, and elongated or not so : ventrals 

 thoracic, with five or less rays. Lateral-line present, or absent. Air-vessel present or absent. Pyloric 

 appendages, when present, in small, moderate numbers, or numerous. 



SYNOPSIS OP GENERA. 



1. Dactylopterus. A long spine at angle of preopercle. Dorsal fin with detached rays anteriorly : 

 pectorals very elongate, with the anterior portion detached and shorter than the rest of the fin. 



2. Pegasus. No spine at angle of preopercle. Pectorals rather elongate and with unbranched rays. 



Genus, 1 — Dactyloptertts* (Lacep.). 



Branchiostegals six. Head with its surfaces more or less flattened, and laterally and superiorly bony. 

 The angle of the preopercle and the shoulder hone each produced into the form of a long spine. Gramdar teeth in 

 the jaws only. Two dorsal fins of nearly equal length : pectorals much elongated, with the anterior portion detached 

 from and shorter than the upper. Scales on body heeled and of a moderate size. Lateral-line absent. Air-vessel in 

 two lateral portions, each furnished with a large muscle. Pyloric appendages in moderate numbers or numerous. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Dactylopterus Orientalis, D. 1 | 1 [ 5 | 8, A. 6. Pectoral fin very long : dorsal, caudal, and pectoral 

 rays spotted. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



Dactylopterus Orientalis, Plate LX, fig. 6. 



Cuv. and Val. iv, p. 134, pi. 76 ; Richardson, Ich. China, p. 218 ; Bleeker, Amb. and Ceram. p. 264 ; 

 Temm. and Schleg. Fauna Japon. Poissons, p. 37, pi. 15, A. ; Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 141 ; Giinther, 

 Catal. ii, p. 222, and Proc. Z. S. 1871, p. 663. 



J)actylopterus Japonicus, Bleeker, Japan, p. 396. 



Dactylopterus chirophthalmus, Bleeker, Nat. Tyds. Ned. Ind. 1854, iv, p. 494 ; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 223. 



B. vi, D. 1 | 1 | 5-6 | 8, P. 30, V. 6, A. 6, C. 9, Vert. 9/13, Ca3C. pyl. 18-19. 



Length of head (including preopercular spine) 3 to 3|, of caudal 5f , height of body 5-J- to 6 in the total 

 length. Eyes — nearly 1 diameter from end of snout, and also apart. Interorbital space concave traversely. 

 A strong spine at the angle of the preopercle more than half the length of the rest of the head. 

 Bony covering of the head produced backwards a little below the back to as far as below second or third dorsal 

 spine. A shoulder spine. Fins — an elongated filament arises over occiput and is 1/2 longer than the head: a 

 second midway between it and the first dorsal spine than which it is half shorter, it is detached from the fin. 

 Fin rays unbranched except the last few of the dorsal, and sometimes of the anal, also those of the caudal 

 which are bifid. Pectoral reaching to the end of the caudal, its first few rays are short, and rather detached 

 from the remainder of the fin, its middle ones are the longest. Scales — with a ridge along each, and a large one 

 forms an oblique keel along either side of the base of the caudal fin. Colours — pinkish, having a tinge 

 of blue along the abdomen : dorsal and caudal rays spotted : pectoral gray along its centre, and the whole of 

 the fin spotted, in the young it appears to have a large round black spot edged with white. 



Jerdon observes of this fish " Ana toumbi, Tarn, rare at Madras." I did not procure it whilst there, but 

 have received the remains of a dried Madras specimen from Sir W. Elliot. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. The figure is taken from a specimen in 

 the British Museum. 



Genus, 2 — Pegasus, Linn. 



Fam. Pegisidce, Richards. 



Branchiostegals one: pseudobranchiae absent. Gills four: gill-opening narrow, in front of the pectoral fin. 

 Body broad and depressed, covered with bony plates, which are anchylosed on the trunk and moveable on the tail. 

 Gill-cover formed of one bony plate, and a small interopercle concealed by it. No teeth. One short dorsal and anal 

 fin opposite to one another : pectorals horizontal and long, composed of simple rays, some of which may be spinous : 

 ventral with one or two rays, the outer being elongated. Air-vessel absent. 



* Part of Family Trigloidei, Bleeker. 



