SCI.ENIDJE. 121 



than the rays. Outer ventral ray prolonged. Second anal spine 

 from a little above | to f the height of the tirst ray, and from $ to 

 f of that of the body ; length of base of fin equal to | of that of 

 soft dorsal. Caudal _ wedge-shaped. Scales ctenoid except on 

 snout and below the eyes, where they are cycloid ; they form a 

 thick covering for base of soft dorsal fin. Lateral line at first 

 indistinct ; the tubes with one or two branches. Air-bladder 

 " each side has ten branching processes, shorter, however, and 

 apparently placed at a greater distance from ea2h other than in J. 

 dassumieri (8. ooitor). The three posterior pairs are much longer 

 than the preceding, the eighth and ninth bipartite, the tenth pair 

 is undivided, pointed." (Cantor.) Colour dark grey; dorsals, 

 anal, and caudal almost black ; a dark blotch on the opercle ; some 

 specimens are much lighter. 



Hab. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond ; much 

 more common on the Western coast of India than in the Bay of 

 Bengal. 



875. (13.) Sciaena semiluctuosa. 



Corvina semiluctuosa, Cuv. $ Vol. N. If. Poiss. v, p. 97, pi. 106. 

 Scisena semiluctuosa, Day, Fish. India, p. 101 (see synon.). 

 Sukkun, Baluchi. 



D.10 | 1/28-31. A.2/7. L.r.85/55-60/75. L.tr. 8-9/25. C. p. 7-8. 



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

 length. Eyes diameter 4| to 6 in length of head, 1 to 2 diam. 

 from end of snout, and 1 to 1| apart. Greatest width of head 

 equals ^ of its length. Upper profile of head rather convex ; snout 

 a little inflated. Upper jaw rather longer than the lower. Edge 

 of preopercle crenulated ; two blunt opercular points. Three open 

 pores across base of snout, five more along free margin of skin, and 

 a small lateral lobe. Five pores under symphysis of lower jaw. 

 Teeth a few outer enlarged ones above symphvsis of mandibles. 

 Fins dorsal spines weak, the third the longest, being 3 higher than 

 the rays and equal to \ of the height of the body. First ventral 

 ray prolonged. Second anal spine strong, nearly | as high as first 

 ray and f height of body, length of base of anal f of that of soft 

 dorsal. Caudal wedge-shaped or rounded. Air-bladder simple. 

 Ccecal appendages longest equals about 3 diameters of orbit. 

 Scales ctenoid except on the snout and below the eyes ; the base 

 of the soft dorsal fin thickly scaled. Lateral line tubes have short 

 branches. Colour deep grey with a blackish band running along 

 the centre of each row of scales ; head glossed with purple ; fins 

 deep black. In young specimens the lines along the rows of scales 

 are very faint. 



Hab. Seas of India to China, very common at Bombay and along 

 the coasts of Sind and Baluchistan. I have never obtained this 

 species in the Bay of Bengal ; the largest specimen I met with 

 was 18 inches in length. 



