THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 
45 
immediately on being captured knocked on tlie bead. Is eaten by the Natives. Said to grow to 
eighteen inches in length. 
Habitat—Eed Sea to the coast of South Africa, and through all the Indian seas to N. W. 
Australia. 
Platycephalus Malabaricus. 
Platycephalus Malabaricus, Guv. & Val. iv. p. 245 ; Gunther , Catal. ii. p. 181. 
Platycephalus carbunculus, Guv. & Val. ix. p. 461; Cantor , Catal. p. 39. 
B. vii. D. 1 I 8 I 11-12. P. 19. V. 1 A. 12. C. 15. L. r. 85. L. tr. 
Length of head f, of pectoral of caudal of base of first dorsal j- s , of base of second 
dorsal 1, of base of anal of total length. Height of head of body of first dorsal T 2 3 , of 
second dorsal of ventral q, of anal ,-L of total length. 
Eyes—Situated on the upper and outer surface of the head, their superior margins forming a 
portion of its upper surface. Horizontal diameter 1, vertical diameter of length of head, J,- a 
diameter apart, 14 from end of snout. 
Body subcylindrical; head depressed and flattened, but not nearly so much as in the last 
species. 
Lower jaw longest; the maxilla extends to beneath the anterior margin of orbit. Interorbital 
space slightly concave from side to side. v At the anterior superior angle of the orbit a sharp spine 
exists, and five more directed backwards, are placed along the superciliary ridge, which is conti¬ 
nued over the occiput, and has a sharp spine about its centre. Prom the upper third of the posterior 
margin of the orbit commences the temporal ridge, which contains five or six spines; and at the 
suprascapular it terminates in two broad flattened spines. Nostrils rather wide apart, not defended 
by spines. Preorbital large, rather rugose. Intermaxillaries protrusible. Two sharp spines at 
lower margin of orbit, directed backwards, from the posterior of which runs a crest to the angle 
of the preopercle, where there are two strong spines, the largest and superior of which equals half 
the diameter of the eye, is directed backwards, and has a small spinous projection at its base ; the 
lowest is directed backwards and downwards. Opercle with two spines, not very wide apart, the 
lower being the termination of a smooth ridge. 
Teeth—Villiform on each intermaxillary, also on vomer, and palate. 
Fins—As in the last species, except that the interspinous membrane of first dorsal is more 
deeply emarginate, and the caudal is nearly square. 
Scales—Small, ctenoid, extending as far forwards as the orbits, and over opercles. 
Lateral line—Smooth and a little above the central half of the body. 
Colours—Greenish buff; head, cheeks, and sides spotted with blackish brown, and sometimes 
having numerous black poiuts intermingled. Irregular dark bands on head and body. Throat 
and abdomen dirty white. First dorsal diaphanous, upper half blackish. Second dorsal, pectoral, 
ventral, and caudal dirty white, the rays spotted with brown. Posterior half of caudal blackish, 
with sometimes two or three vertical wavy white lines. Anal white, with some brown spots at its 
external margin. Iris greenish golden, spotted with brown. 
Common in Malabar, along with the last; grows to eleven inches in length. Is eaten by the 
Natives. 
Habitat—Seas of India and Malaysia. 
