212 TELEOSTEI. ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



which is deeply notched. The second dorsal highest in front, with 

 its upper margin concave ; it is situated opposite the anal, which it 

 resembles. Ventral small ; pectoral pointed ; caudal with pointed 

 lobes, each with a raised soft oblique ridge along its base. Lateral 

 line at first in upper third of body ; opposite the twelfth or thir- 

 teenth dorsal ray it bends down, and again descends abruptly 

 opposite the first to the third pair of finlets, beyond which it passes 

 direct to the centre of the caudal, where it ends in a soft raised 

 keel between the bases of the lobes. Colour bluish above, silvery 

 below ; first dorsal black to end of the seventh spine, behind which 

 it is pure white, with a narrow black upper edge ; basal half of 

 pectoral black. After death numerous vertical undulating lines 

 and spots appear on the sides ; in the specimen figured (from 

 Madras) they are very distinct, but during life they are rather in- 

 distinct. , 



Hab. Red Sea, east coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay 

 Archipelago and beyond ; attaining at least 4 feet in length. 



984. (5.) Cybium lineolatum. 



Cybium lineolatum, Cuv. $ Vol. H. N. Poiss. viii, p. 170 ; Day, Fish. 

 India, p. 256 (see synon.) 



D.16 | 4/12+ix. P. 21. V. 1/5. A. 5/14+ x. C. 15. 



Length of head 5, of caudal 5, height of body 6| in the total 

 length. Eyes- diameter 4^ in length of head, 1| apart. Teeth 

 about 18 in either jaw, triangular and strongly compressed, the 

 central ones in the lower being the largest ; a triangular pointed 

 patch on the vomer, and a band on the palatines. Fins spines 

 of first dorsal slender. Pectorals 8| in the total length ; ventral 

 5 of pectoral. Lateral linent first in upper fourth of body, 

 descends gradually towards end of second dorsal fin until it arrives 

 below the fifth finlet. Colour bluish above, silvery on sides and 

 beneath; several rows of elongated black blotches on the body, 

 three rows of them, like interrupted lines, below the lateral line. 



Hob. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



5. Genus ELACATE, Cuv. 



Syn. Meladerma, Swainson. 



Brauchiostegals seven ; pseudobranchiffi. Body fusiform j head 

 depressed. Villiform teeth on the jaws, vomer, palatine bones, and 

 tongue. The first dorsal reduced to a few free spines ; the second 

 with many rays and somewhat similar to the anal: no finlets. 

 Scales very small. No keel on the side of the tail. 'Air-bladder 

 absent. Pyloric appendages dendritical. 



The young of this fish, in the seas of India, has its central cau- 

 dal rays much prolonged ; in a specimen 8| inches long the fin 

 becomes more obtuse, but still the central rays are rather the long- 

 est ; m a specimen of 12 inches the fin is obtuse, in another 11 

 inches long it is slightly emarginate ; in the adult it becomes con- 

 cave or almost lobed, the lower lobe being usually the longer. 



