MALAYAN FISHES, m 



" STAR-GAZERS." 



{LEPTOSCOPIDAE,) 



Information is wanting, trnt, I think the Pukul gen dan 



{Percis pulcheUd) h rare and economically imiiiiijorttint. 



SPtNV.EELS. 



(MASl'A CEMBELIDA E. ) 



These are eel-shapt'il tiarnivorous fillies, very e<nmnon thrfnijtrh- 

 out MaliivA where they are kno\ni b_v the ^eneriti terra Tilan, 

 Tlie lar^iL\>st spet-ifs reach a length of three feet and the ilesh of all 

 speK'ies is of excel lent qimlity. They are found far inland and often 

 a.t oonsiderahlc elevations. 



Day states, Eseell^iiit as food, although owmg to their re^M- 

 bLanee to eels (in fact they are eels with spines) or snakes, &ome 

 people object to them." Buchanan ob.-crves, " son^^ht after by the 

 natives, the hifrhest of wliom in Bengal nmke no scruple of eating 

 them ; and hy Europeans they are esteemed the liest of the eel-kind;' 



FROG-FISHES. 



(mmACHWAE,) 



These carnivoroue fitshes apparently (leli;?ht in mud and dirty 

 water; they frequent the i^liores, asftending tidul rivers and estimriea. 

 At Penan » " the natives attrilmte poisonous qualitiea to th^m fishes, 

 and reject them even as manure'* (Cantor). 



ANGLER-FISHES AND CROAKERS.** 



(AXl'EXXAHllDAE d- MALTHIDAE.) 

 Thegfi fishes have'ijo economic value, 



LEATHER-JACKETS. 



{TniAcjymimE and balistidak.) 



These two families may W cfmveniontly taken together in thiss 

 «mflll work as there is a strong affinity between them. 



Thoii«:li t'ontainini^ many species Of no economic value one 

 fipeciee, the J^bong {Bfilhlea uli'Ualus) , is preferred to all other 

 fifih by many Malays, inehidinir fisiiermen, whom I have questioned. 

 I think tliat the niiuti rpiisc^n for thisi prefereiiee is that the t^esh 

 of this ft:ih mnn- neiirly refieml>le?i that of a ehiekcn thiin any other 

 lish, dud couseqiieiitly the chaiige to what approximates to a meat 

 diet m weleomeih 



The Jebong has a ton^li leathery skin which has to be re* 

 moved before it is cmiked. The* wok shonlt] not he allowed to re- 

 move the head whieh is the heM part of tlii^ fish, and of nrany 

 others, especial ly perhaps the TeitggirL 



I/:ather-iaeket:i are held in tcmsiderahle esteem in Australia ae 

 food fieh and are commonly served in hotels and restaiirante. 



