72 TELEOSTEI. ACANTIIOPTERYGII. 



D. 14-15/9-40. P. 14. V. 1/3. A. 2/7-8. C. 12. 

 Length of head 3|, height of body 3| in the total length. Eyes 

 placed high up, diameter 4 in length of head, 1| diam. from end 

 of snout, and apart. Profile from dorsal fin to snout oblique. 

 A rough ridge passes across the suborbitals to a little above the 

 angle of the preopercle ; an elevated occipital ridge, and also a 

 temporal one having three blunt spines. Fins dorsal fin com- 

 mences over the middle of the eye; spines strong, the second 

 slightly the longest, they subsequently slightly decrease to the last, 

 which is as high as the first ray ; a membranous extension from 

 end of dorsal nearly reaches base of caudal. Caudal rounded. 



Fig. 30. Cocotropus roseus. 



Skin with many widely spread rough elevations, becoming some- 

 what spiny in large specimens ; tubes of lateral line Id or 11 in 

 number, occupying its whole length. Colour fleshy, the fins 

 more pinkish. Dorsal fin edged with white, having a dull grey 

 band along its centre, and most distinct in its last half ; caudal 

 edged with white, and numerous grey spots at the base ; pectoral 

 and anal reddish, the former with many black spots ; ventrals 

 white. 



These fish are very common in Madras in October and through 

 the cold months, but rarely exceed 2| or 3 inches in length. 



H(ib. Coromandel coast of India. 



12. Genus PELOR, Cuv. & Val. 



Branchiostegals seven. Head irregularly shaped. Villiform 

 teeth in the jaws and vomer. The first three dorsal spines con- 

 nected by membrane and at a little distance from the others (12- 

 34), which are somewhat isolated, the interspinous membrane being 

 deeply cleft ; two free rays at the base of the pectoral fin, having 

 a connecting membrane ; ventrals thoracic. Articulated fin-rays 

 branched. Scales absent. Head, body, and fins with skinny 

 appendages. Air-bladder small. Pyloric appendages few. 



818. (1.) Pelor didactylum. (Fig. 31.) 



Scorpaena didactyla. Pallas, Spic. Zool. fasc. vii, p. 26, t. 4. 

 Pelor didactylum, Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 150 ; Day, Fish. India 

 p. 160, pi. xxxix, lig. 1 (see synon.). 



