167 



f to 1 diam. from end of snout. Body elevated and compressed, 

 a swelling in dorsal profile opposite eyes, causing a slight concavity 

 below and also above them. I ower jaw the longer ; maxilla reache's 

 to below front edge or first third of eye. Greatest height of 

 preorbital from | to 1 diameter of the orbit. Teeth villiform in 

 jaws, vomer, palatines, and tongue. Fins spinous first dorsal 

 rudimentary ; the second dorsal commencing at the most elevated 

 point of the back ; first five or six rays elongate and with filiform 

 terminations. Pectoral as long as head. Ventral reaches anal. 

 Anterior rays of anal elongate like those of second dorsal. Caudal 

 deeply forked. Scales absent except on the lateral line. Lateral 

 line with a strong bend anteriorly, becoming straight below the 

 ninth or tenth dorsal ray. Colour silvery, with five or six vertical 

 bands on the body. Anterior portion of soft dorsal and anal black. 

 An opercular spot. 



Hob. From the Red Sea, through the seas of India to the Malay 

 Archipelago and beyond. This species is not nearly so common as 

 0. gallus. 



931. (24.) Caranx leptolepis. 



Caranx leptolepis, Cuv. 8f Vol. H. N. Poiss. ix, p. 63 ; Day, Fish. 

 India, p. 225, pi. li. fig. 4 (see synon.). 



JRamah parcih, Tarn. 



D. 8 | 1/24-26. P. 20. A. 2 | 1/21. C. 17. Sc. 1. 24-28. 



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

 length. Eyes with broad posterior adipose lids covering hind 

 third of pupil, an anterior eyelid extending half across iris ; diameter 

 3 1 in length of head, 1 to 1| diam. from end of snout and also apart. 

 Jaws of about the same length, or lower slightly longer; maxilla 

 reaches to below anterior edge or first third of orbit. Preorbital in 

 its deepest part eq uals f diameter of orbit. Teeth fine in anterior 

 portion of lower jaw, none in the upper jaw, vomer, or palate ; a 

 fine band on the tongue. Fins dorsal spines weak, third and fourth 

 longest and | height of body ; anterior portion of soft dorsal highest 

 and f height of body. Pectoral rather longer than head and reaching 

 to above the fourth anal ray ; ventral nearly reaches the preanal 

 spines. Last dorsal and anal ray somewhat elongate. Scales over 

 body, chest, cheeks, and superiorly on the head to above middle of 

 eye. Lateral line 95 scales ; it makes a very gentle curve, becoming 

 straight below the first third of second dorsal ; keeled scales begin so 

 gradually under the last portion of second dorsal that it is difficult 

 to decide where they commence, the longest are below commence- 

 ment of free portion of the tail, and about -^ height of body. 

 Colour silvery, a broad golden stripe from above eye to upper 

 edge of tail ; 'lower two thirds of dorsal fin yellow, upper third 

 dark. Outer third of anal white, the rest yellow : a large deep 

 black spot on the shoulder, said to be sometimes absent (C. 

 mertensii). 



Jfab. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and Australia. 



