125 



white beneath ; head shot with gold and purple. Fins yellowish, 

 upper half of dorsal grey, as is also the last half of the caudal. 



Hob. Bay of Bengal, entering estuaries and rivers as far as the 

 tide extends. This species attains at least 5 feet in length. 



It is termed " whiting " in Calcutta, and is light and wholesome 

 if cooked whilst fresh, but it rapidly becomes soft and tasteless 

 after death. 



830. (2.) Sciaenoides raicrodon. 



Otolithus microdon, Bkeker, Batavia Nat. Tijdsch. i, p. 99. 

 Sciaenoides inicrodon, Day, Fish. India, p. 194, pi. xlv, fig. 2 (see 

 synon.). 



D. 8-9 | 1/34-37. A. 2/7. C. 18. L.r.95/85. L.tr.11/20. Cjec.pyl.6. 



Length of head 4, height of body 5| in the total length. Eyes 

 diameter 6 in length of head, 1| diam. from end of snout, and 2| 

 apart. Greatest width of head equals to f its length. Snout 

 not overhanging the jaws, the lower slightly prominent opposite 

 the symphysis. Edges of preopercle finely serrated ; an opercular 

 spine. Three open pores along free edge of skin at snout, but no 

 lateral lobe. Four large open pores along underside of lower jaw 

 near symphysis. Fins dorsal spines 3rd to 5th longest, | higher 

 than rays and \ height of body. Pectoral equals the length of the 

 head excluding the snout. Ventral reaches halfway to the anal. 

 Second anal spine equals half height of rays. Caudal wedge- 

 shaped. Scales cycloid in the young, ctenoid on the body in larger 

 specimens, especially below the lateral line. Lateral line curves 

 to opposite the commencement of the anal fin. Colour brown, 

 becoming lighter on the sides and beneath. Fins yellow, dorsal 

 and anal tipped with blackish. 



Hob. Orissa to the Malay Archipelago. 



881. (3.) Sciasnoides biauritus. 



Otplithus biauritus, Cantor, J. A. S. B. xviii, p. 1039 ; Catal. p. 57. 

 Sciaenoides biauritus, Day, Fish. India, p. 194, pi. xlvii, fig. 1 (see 

 synon.). 



D.9 | 1/27-33. P. 19. A. 2/7. L.r. 115/95. L. tr. 12/25. C. p. 13. 

 Length of head 4 to 4|, height of body 5 to 6 in the total length. 

 Eyes diameter 7 to 8 in length of head, 2 diam. from end of snout 

 and also apart. Greatest width of head equals half its length. 

 Upper jaw overlaps the lower. Distance from eye to upper jaw 

 equals diameter of orbit. Posterior margin of preopercle oblique, 

 indistinctly crenulated ; two opercular points. Five open pores 

 along free edge of skin of snout, no lateral lobe ; four small open 

 pores en under surface of lower jaw. Shoulder-flap fimbriated. 

 Fins dorsal spines weak, and as high as the posterior rays of the 

 soft dorsal fin, the highest about f height of body. Pectoral equals 

 head behind middle of eves. Ventral reaches halfway to anal. 



