8TROMATEIDJE. 199 



minutely dotted with black, the outer half darker. Iris silvery. 

 The young are much darker, the vertical fins being nearly black. 



Fig. 68. Stromateus cinereus. 



Hob. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond; 

 attaining at least a foot in length. 



970. (3.) Stromateus niger. 



Stromateus niger, Block, Ich. t. 422; Day, Fish. India, p. 247, 



pi. liii, tig. 4 (see synon.). 



Saranga, Marathi ; Nala-sanda-wah, Tel. ; Baal, Ooriah; Curroopoo- 

 voval, Tarn. ; Kar-anvoolee, Mai. ; Ko-liy-dah, And. 



B. vii. D. 5/42-44. P. 22. A. 3/35-39. 0. 19. 



Length of head 4|, of caudal 4, height of body 2g to 3 in total 

 length. Eyes diameter 4^ to 5 in length of head, 1|- diam. from 

 end of snout, and nearly 2 apart. The lower jaw the longer. 

 Fins dorsal and anal much elevated in front, very low behind, 

 with concave margins. Pectoral | longer than head, and falciform : 

 ventrals only apparent in the young ; in a specimen 3^ inches in 

 length they are jugular and g total length. The spines, before 

 the dorsal and anal fins, which are concealed in the adult fish, are 

 apparent in young specimens. Lateral line gently curves down- 

 wards, its last fourth passes straight to middle of tail, in the form 

 of a raised keeled line with lateral shields as in the genus Caranx. 

 Colour deep brown or greyish brown with blue reflexions ; cheeks, 

 opercles, and abdomen pale neutral or brownish neutral. Dorsal 

 and anal greyish brown, stained black towards their margins ; 

 pectoral and caudal brownish, edged with black. Iris brownish 

 blue ; in the young grey. The dorsal and anal fins black, and the 

 tail yellow, with three brown cross bands. 



Hob. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and China. Grows 

 to two feet in length and is excellent eating. It appears in 

 Malabar about the same time as S.sinensis; it comes in shoals, 

 and disappears as suddenly as it arrives. 



