SCOMBRI D^E. 211 



in the lower jaw ; a triangular patch on the voiner, and a band on 

 the palatines. Fiiis first dorsal spiues weak and ending in 

 soft points ; second dorsal highest in front, where it is - of the 

 body below it, and has a concave upper edge ; anal commences 

 below first third of soft dorsal. Lateral line having a very 

 gradual descent, it becomes somewhat undulating opposite the 

 commencement of the second dorsal, and very much so below the 

 third and fourth finlets. The keel on the lateral line well deve- 

 loped. Colour bluish above, silvery beneath ; back and sides 

 with three rows of round or rather horizontally oval spots, which 

 become most apparent after death ; the membrane between the 

 first and eighth dorsal spines black, the rest pure white edged with 

 black ; in the young the first dorsal is occasionally almost wholly 

 black. 



Hub. Seas of India, Malay Archipelago, and China. Grows to 

 6 feet in length, is good eating, and salts well. These fish are 

 captured in numbers from October throughout the cold months 

 along all the Indian coasts. 



983. (4.) Cybium commersonii. (Fig. 74.) 



Scomber corniuersonii, Lacep. ii, p. COO, pi. 20, fig. 1. 



Cybium commersonii, Day, Fish. India, p. 255, pi. Ivi, fij?. 5 (see 



synon.). 

 Chumbum, Mai. ; Konam, Mah-wii-l<tachi, or Ah-ku-lah, Tarn. 



D.I (5-17 i 3-4/13-14+ix-x.P.20-23.A.2-3/12-13 + ix-x.C.21. 

 Length of head 4 to 5, of caudal fin 5 to 5|, height of body 5| to 7 

 in the total length. Eyes diameter 4| to 5~iu length of head, 1| to 

 2 diam. from end of snout, and 1 apart. Posterior border of pre- 

 opercle rather ernargiiiate, and its angle rounded and slightly pro- 

 duced. Teeth strong, conical, compressed laterally, those in the 



Fig. 74. Cybium commersonii. 



upper jaw varying in number from about 11 to 25, the posterior 

 being rather the smallest. In the lower jaw there are from 10 to 

 15 of the same shape, but the posterior are the largest. A trian- 

 gular group of villit'orm teeth on the vomer, and a long narrow 

 band on the palatines. Fins spines of the first dorsal weak, and 

 ending in thin filamentous points that project beyond the membrane, 



