204 TELTOSTEI. ACASTHBOPTERTGn. 



I height of body, they rapidly decrease in length behind. The 

 distance between the two dorsal fins equals half the base of the 

 posterior, the upper edge of which is concave : fiulets commence 

 just behind the fin and are opposite to and similar to those behind 

 the anal. Stahs smaller above than below lateral line, and largest 

 just beneath pectoral fin : the first few rows beneath the lateral 

 line are parallel with it, those below the pectoral are irregularly 

 concave. Minute scales on second dorsal and anal fins. -4tr- 

 Haddfr present. PiteudobraRfhia? largely developed. Colour 

 back greenish, sides and abdomen iridescent, a row of sixteen spots 

 along summit of back, close to base of dorsal fin ; summit of head 

 spotted ; sides shot with bluish purple. Dorsal fins yellowish, 

 tipped with black ; caudal bright yellow, stained with black at its 

 extremity. Pectoral bright yellow, with a dark mark on the body 

 below it ; ventral and anal "finely dotted with black, which fades 

 soon after death, when the colour becomes dull green with the 

 abdomen lighter. Posterior edge of caudal sometimes blackish 

 with a white outer margin. In large specimens the colours differ, 

 there are from five to eight dark longitudinal bands along the back 

 and upper half of the body, the highest of which is occasionally 

 broken up into spots. There are usually two golden bands below 

 the lateral line, and one along its course. 



Hah. Bed Sea, seas of India, and the Malay Archipelago. Along 

 the coasts of India this fish is very rarely seen above 10 inches 

 in length, but at the Andamans I obtained what I took for a 

 distinct species, a foot long, and differently coloured, as described 

 above. I have captured this species at Madras, with fully de- 

 veloped ova, in March. In Malabar it is very common throughout 

 the cold season, and is extensively salted and dried. Although 

 good eating, it is seldom brought to the table of Europeans, as it 

 npidly taints. 



974. (2.) Scomber brachysoma. 



Scomber hrachysoma, Keeker, Batatia Nat. Tijdsck. i, p. 356 j Day, 

 Fish. India, p. 251 (see synon.) 



D.10|1/11+ T . A.1/11+T. C.21. L.L135. L. tr. 13/ . 

 length of head 3|, height of body 3$ to 3| in the total length. 



edge of the opercle. Teeth none on vomer or palate. Fins 

 dorsal spines weak and receivable into a groove, the second and third 

 the highest and rather above height of body, upper edge of 

 second dorsal fin concave, finlets commence just behind the fin 

 and are opposite to and similar to those behind the anal. Colvur 

 similar to that of S. microltpidotus, except that there are two 

 shining hght spots above and behind either eve, and the spinous 



*sal is posteriorly edged with black. 



Hob. Andaman Islands to the Malay Archipelago. 



