198 TELEOSTEI. ACAKTHOPTERTGII. 



The lower jaw the longer, especially in young specimens. Teeth 

 becoming lost with age. Fins first four or five dorsal spines very 

 short, and not appearing above the skin, anterior portion of fin 

 similar to that of anal and equal to length of pectoral. First five 

 anal spines short and not appearing above skin. Caudal with equal 

 lobes, in the young slightly emarginate. Scales small and very 

 deciduous, especially in the immature, in adults they cover the 

 vertical fins. Colour upper surface of head and body as far as 

 the lateral line of a deep neutral tint, the rest of body brownish 

 grey, with metallic reflections, becoming lighter and silvery towards 

 the abdomen ; body dotted all over with brown, the larger spots 

 having a silvery point in their centre. Fins silvery grey, the mar- 

 ginal half blackish. Cavity of mouth and tongue pale bluish grey 

 with brown dots, silvery in the centre. Iris reddish silver or copper- 

 coloured, minutely dotted with brown. The young are grey, the 

 head covered with irregular star-shaped spots, and the ftns nearly 

 black, especially at their edges. 



Hob. Seas of India, Malay Archipelago, and China. This species 

 of Pomfret is that most esteemed for eating ; in Malabar it is by 

 no means rare during the S.W. monsoon (from June till Septem- 

 ber). It should be cooked when quite fresh. The young are 

 common round the coasts and ascend estuaries. I found them 

 numerous during March in the Suudarbans. 



969. (2.) Stromatens cinereus. (Fig. 68.) 



Stromateus cinereus, Slock, Ich. xii, p. 00, t. 420 (semi-adult) ; 

 Day, Fish. India, p. 247, pi. liii, fig. 3 (see synon.). 



Svdi sandawah, Telia sandaivah, Tel. ; Telia voval, Tarn. ; Saranga, 

 Marathi ; Roojana, Arracan ; Roop chanda, Chittagong ; AY/rt moo and 

 Ngapamoung, Burmese; Silver pom/ret (immature); Grey ponif ret (adult). 



B. vii. D. 5-9 | 1/38-43. P. 27. A. 5-6 | 1/32-41. C. 19. 



^Length of head 4 to 41, of pectoral 2| to 2|, height of body 1^ to 

 1 in the total length excluding the caudal fin . Eyes diameter 4 to 

 5 in length of head, 1 diam. from end of snout, and 1| to 2 apart. 

 Snout projecting over the mouth. Fins the dorsal and anal spines 

 appear in a truncated form above the skin ; anterior portion of soft 

 dorsal elevated, but not to so great an extent as the anterior part of 

 the anal, which in the immature reaches to below middle of caudal fin, 

 but as age advances gradually becomes shorter. Pectoral rather 

 pointed. Caudal deeply forked, the lower lobe much the longer 

 in the immature, sometimes being twice as long as the upper. 

 Colour upper surface of head and back as low as lateral line 

 greyish neutral tint with purplish reflexions, sides of head and 

 b6dy silvery grey, fading to white on abdomen, and everywhere 

 covered with minute black dots ; a dark spot on upper portion of 

 opercle Dorsal and anal grey minutely dotted with black, the 

 outer half darker. Caudal and pectoral yellowish white, also 



