73 



D. 3 | 13-15/8-9. P. 10 + ii. V. 1/5. A. 11-12. C. 12. 



Length of head 3| to 4, height of body 3| in the total length. Eyes 

 diameter 5| in the adult to 3 in the young in length of head, 2| 

 diam. from end of snout, and from 1 to 1| apart. Lower ja\v 

 considerably the longer. Interorbital space deeply concave, with a 

 transverse ridge between the two eyes ; a deep saddle-shaped 

 depression across the occiput ; a groove below the eyes. Upper 

 edge of orbit with blunt spines ; spiny occipital and temporal 

 ridges preopercle with spines on its vertical border ; a suborbital 

 spiny ridge ; a turbinal .spine ; opercle mostly with two spines. 



Fig. 31.Pelor didactylum. 



Bather long fleshy tentacles on the lower jaw. Fins second 

 dorsal spine somewhat longest of first three, as high as longest in 

 rest of fin ; interspinous membrane deeply cleft and covered with 

 skinny appendages. Caudal cut almost square. Colour brownish 

 grey, becoming dirty white beneath, with fine spots over the body 

 and head. Dorsal coloured like the body, a dark band passes down 

 last few spines on to body, and another over last few rays takes 

 the same course ; caudal yellow, with a dark vertical band across 

 its base, and another in its last third ; outer edge of anal dark 

 coloured. 



JJab. Andaman Islands, to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



13. Genus CHORIDACTYLUS, Eichardson. 



Branchiostegals six. Head and body compressed. Bones of 

 head with osseous ridges ; the preorbital, preopercle, and opercle 

 with spines ; a groove on the occiput. Villiform teeth on the 

 jaws ; palate edentulous. A single dorsal fin with more spines (13) 

 than rays (9) ; anal with two spines ; pectoral fin with three free 

 rays. V. 1/5. Articulated fin-rays branched. Scales absent ; 

 some skinny appendages on the body. Air-bladder absent. Pyloric 

 appendages few. 



Geographical Distribution. Coromandel coast of India and seas 

 of China. 



