428 TELEOSTEI. ACANTHOPTEBTGII. 



preopercle. Colour purplish brown, the edges of each scale being 

 darker than the centre, the large scales covering first f of caudal 

 fin dull yellowish, a violet tint in thoracic region, where the centres 

 of some" scales are light. Snout greenish yellow. Vertical fins 

 brown, the dorsal with a narrow black outer margin. Pectoral 

 transparent. 



Hub. East coast of Africa, Andamans to the Malay Archipelago. 

 A specimen 2'7 inches long was taken at Port Blair. 



1305. (9.) Pseudoscarus sordidus. 



Scarus sordidus, Forsk. Descr. Anim. p. 30, no. 18. 

 Pseudoscarus sordidus, Day, Fish. India, p. 413 (see synon.). 



D. 9/10. P. 15. V. 1/5. A. 3/9. C. 13. L. 1. 25. 



Length of head 3^ to 3|, height of body 3| to 3| in the total 

 length. Eyes diameter 6 to 8 in length of head, 2^ to 3 diam. 

 from end of snout, and 2 apart. Jaws strong. Lips very narrow. 

 Teeth the upper jaw with a pointed tooth at the angle. Fins 

 dorsal spines subequal; caudal truncated or slightly emarginate, 

 and with its outer rays a little produced in adults. Scales only 

 2 rows on cheeks, none on the lower limb of preopercle. Colour 

 in different specimens differs widely, being pink, green, or brown, 

 and variously marked. Some have green lips and horizontal red 

 marks across the cheeks, and the dorsal and anal fins may be with 

 or without a median horizontal band or row of spots. 



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

 Archipelago. 



Family XL1V. CHROMIDES. 



Pseudobranchiffi absent. Gills four. Small teeth in jaws, none 

 on palate ; inferior pharyngeal bones triangular, with a median 

 longitudinal suture. Dorsal fin single, the spinous portion usually 

 of greater extent than the soft ; anal with three or more spines, 

 its soft portion similar to that of the dorsal. Ventrals thoracic, 1/5. 

 Air-bladder present. Pyloric appendages, when present, few. 



Geographical Distribution. Fresh waters of Africa and America ; 

 one genus in India. 



1. Genus ETROPLUS, Cuv. & Val. 

 Syn. Pseufatroplus, Bleeker. 

 Branchiostegals six. Body elated and compressed. Eyes 



