296 



A, Alcock — Descrijittons of some new and rare 



[No. 3, 



XVII. — Natural History Notes from H. M.'s Indian Marine Survey 

 Steamer 'Investigator,' Commander, Alfeed Oabpekteb, R. N., 

 D. S, O., Commanding. No. 12. Descriptions of some neiv and rare 

 species of Fishes from the Bay of Bengal, ohtained during the season of 

 1888-89. — By Alfred Alcock, M. B. (Abek.), Surgeon-Naturalist 

 to the Survey. 



[Received Sept. 13th ;- Bead November 6tli, 1889.] 

 (With. Plate XXII.) 

 The fishes described in this paper were taken by the trawl during 

 the last season's survey work on the East Coast of the peninsula. There 

 are iu all ton species, of which seven aro new to science, while the 

 remaining three appear for the first time as Indian fishes. 



One only is a strictly shore fish : the others were obtained in depths 

 ranging from 25 to 68 fathoms, most of them in the greater depth. 



The deep-sea forms met with by the ' Investigator ' will be con- 

 sidered separately ; but from this present account of the produce of a 

 few occasional hauls of the trawl, made, when time permitted, in the 

 course of delimiting the hundred-fathom line, it will be seen how rich 

 and how full of promise are the extra-littoral waters of India. 



Though the fishes now described are from the off waters of the Elast 

 Coast, some of them were met with in other localities, and these localities 

 are also recorded. 



Family PEECiDiE. 



An A'pogon-like fish, near Ghilodipteus, Pomatomus, and Scomhrops, 

 its closest resemblance being to the last, was taken on two occasions in 

 moderate depths. It is distinguished from Scomhrops most consjoicu- 

 ously by the structure of the spinous dorsal, and of the preoperculum. 

 In recognition of its nearest alliance I propose the name Farascombrops, 

 diagnosed by the following characters. 



Seven branchiostegals. Jaws with canines : villiform teeth on palate 

 and vomer : tongue smooth. Two separate dorsal fins, the first with 

 9 spines. Anal with 2 spines. Operculum naked, with weak spines. 

 Preoperculum with a double serrated edge. Scales large and decidu- 

 ous. Pseudobranchia). 



PAEASCOMBEOPS PELLtJCIDUS, g. et sp. nov,, PI. XXII, Pig. 1. 

 B. 7. D. 9/1. A. f. L. lat. ciro. 28. Cteo. pyl. S. P. 17. V. 1/5. C. 24. 

 Body rather elongate and compressed ; its height a little more than 

 one-fourth the total. Head compressed and somewhat angular, with 



