190 TELEOSTEI. ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



jaws. Fins dorsal spines moderate, the second rather the longest 

 and equal or nearly equal to | height of body ; the third and fourth 

 serrated anteriorly in their lower halves. Ventral reaches to the 

 anal. Second anal spine ^ height of body ; the third finely ser- 

 rated anteriorly. Scales on body (except base of pectoral fin), 

 breast, and chest; a rather large one at base of ventral. Lateral 

 line with about 60 tubes, situated on rounded scales. Colour 

 silvery, with a dark brown blotch over nape, and a black mark in 

 upper half of spinous dorsal fin from third to sixth spines. Vertical 

 zigzag yellow lines on back and sides, which soon fade after death ; 

 base of pectoral posteriorly dark-coloured. 



Hab. Seas of India; common. I have this fish from Bombay, 

 Malabar, Madras, Calcutta, and Akyab, and many young from the 

 Sundarbans. 



958. (7.) Equnla brevirostris. 



Equula brevirostris CUD. fy Val H. N. Poiss. x, p. 83 ; Day, Fish. 

 India, p. 241 (see synon.). 



B. v. D. 8/16. P. 18. V. 1/5. A. 3/14. C. 17. 

 Length of head 4^, of caudal fin 4, height of body 2| in the 

 total length. Eyes diameter nearly 2| in length of head, | diam. 

 from end of snout, and 1 apart. Body oval, dorsal and abdominal 

 profiles equally convex ; snout pointed, not obtuse except just at 

 its anterior extremity. Interorbital cavity nearly twice as long as 

 broad. A pair of well-developed spines at anterior upper angle of 

 eye ; supraorbital edge finely serrated. Lower jaw very concave 

 below. Lower limb of prebpercle finely serrated. Teeth h\ a 

 single fine row in either jaw. Fins dorsal spines moderately 

 strong and compressed, second f (sometimes 1) height of body'; 

 third strongly serrated in its lower half, fourth in its lower fourth. 

 Ventral reaches f to anal. Second anal spine f height of body, the 

 third strongly serrated in lower half. Caudal forked. Scales over 

 body but not on breast or chest. Lateral line with from 58 to 64 

 distinct tubes, not quite reaching to base of caudal fin. Colour 

 an oval black blotch on upper half of spinous dorsal, from third to 

 seventh spine (it is sometimes very faint), and a dark brown trans- 

 verse blotch across nape of neck. ' Pectoral posteriorly black at its 

 base. A narrow yellow band from above the eve to centre of base 

 of caudal. 



Hab. Seas of India to hina ; attaining at least 4| inches in 

 length. 



959. (8.) Equula lineolata. 



Equula lineolata, Cuv. $ Val. H. N. Poiss. x, p. 86 ; Day, Fish. India, 

 p. 241, pi. h C, tig. 3 (see synon.). 



B.v. D.8/16. P. 19. V. 1/5. A. 3/14. C.17. 



i L JS*h o* hea ? 4 ?> of caudal 4jf, height of body 2| in the total 



length, % diameter 3 in length of head, $ diam. from end of 



>ut, and 1 apart. Body oblong; dorsal and abdominal profiles 



