48 
THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 
Upper jaw tlie longest, and in front forming a semicircle, tire maxilla extends nearly half as far 
as the anterior margin of orbit. Mouth small, upper jaw moderately protrusible. A large pore 
under symphysis of lower jaw. Interorbital space flat or slightly convex, covered with small scales, 
which do not extend over snout. Nostrils approximating and near to anterior superior angle of 
orbit. Posterior limb of preopercle vertical, and only half as long as the inferior horizontal limb 
which is covered by a row of large scales, angle rounded, its upper half crenated. Opercle with 
a short sharp spine. Shoulder bones unarmed. 
Teeth—Yilliform and numerous in both upper and lower jaws, and vomei’, where they form a 
crescentic band. 
Fins—Fentrals attached a little further back than the pectorals; first dorsal arises opposite 
centre of pectoral: anal opposite second ray of second dorsal. Spines of first dorsal weak, the first 
three about equal in length, and one third longer than the fourth, from thence they gradually 
decrease : interspinous membrane slightly emarginate. The first soft ray in second dorsal equals 
the fourth spine of the first dorsal, from this they gradually decrease. Yentral spine weak, first ray 
prolonged. Pectoral rounded. Caudal slightly crescentic. 
Scales—Rough on their free border, their longest diameter from above downwards, equal, to 
about twice their transverse length. They are placed in oblique rows on the body. Anteriorly 
they extend to between the orbits, and cover the suborbital ring, and pieces of opercle. Each 
spine in the fins has a very fine row of scales behind it, some exist on the pectoral fin, and over 
the base of the caudal. 
Lateral line—First curves slightly upwards to upper fourth of body, then descends and when 
opposite the middle of the second dorsal is below the centre of the body, and is continued on to 
the caudal fin. The scales forming the lateral line are smaller than those above or below. The tube 
is single and elevated. 
Colours—Greyish, lighter below than above, and with pinkish reflections, a silvery longitu¬ 
dinal stripe below lateral line: very minute black points on membranes of dorsal and anal fins. 
Pectoral, ventral and anal with a tinge of yellow. Iris pale golden. 
This fish, which is known to Europeans under the name of “ Whiting ,'” is excellent eating; 
it arrives in Malabar about January, and is never salted. It is said to grow to three feet in length. 
Habitat—From the Red -Sea, through the seas of India, Malaysia and China. 
Genus UMBRINA, Cuv. 
Branchiostegals, seven : pseudobranchise. Body oblong, upper jaw overlapping lower, a short barbel 
under symphysis of inferior jaw. Two dorsals, the first with nine or ten flexible spines, soft dorsal more 
developed than spinous one. Anal with one or two spines. Yentrals thoracic, with one spine and five rays. 
Opercle unarmed, or feebly so. Teeth on jaws in villiform bands with sometimes conical ones intermixed, 
none on palate. Scales moderate, lateral line continuous. Air bladder with or without appendages, or 
absent. Pyloric cceca few. 
Umbrina Dussumieri. 
Umbrina Dussumieri, Cuv. & Val. ix. p. 481. 
