66 
THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 
Length of head 1, of pectoral H of total length. Height of body T L, of head of total 
length. 
Eyes—Diameter 4 of length of head, rather more than a diameter apart, nearly 1.1 diameters 
from end of snout. 
Lower jaw longest, the maxilla extends to beneath the first quarter of orbit. Preorbital large, 
lineated, but entire. Opercle finely lineated and extending backwards to above pectoral fin. 
Openings of nostrils large, rather close to anterior margin of orbit, the superior margin of which 
is nearly horizontal, and close to the profile of the head. 
Teeth—Three large canines in intermaxillaries, the anterior the largest, curved, directed for¬ 
wards, downwards, and barbed at its extremity : the two posterior ones arising from the external 
extremities of the intermaxillaries, are curved backwards and downwards; they are also slightly 
barbed at their extremities. An external row of about five fine teeth exists in the intermaxillaries, 
and a single row of about seven sharp, pointed, and flattened laterally is found in the maxilla. A 
row similar to that in the upper jaw exists in the lower, but the teeth are finer. In young specimens 
the dental arrangement is slightly different. 
Fins—Dorsal fin commences opposite the anterior margin of opercle : spines weak, they 
become gradually longer until they nearly equal the height of the body. Anal spines are very fine 
and short in young specimens, or else truncated at their extremities; in the adult fish all are 
truncated as shown magnified in the plate. 
Lateral line—Curves downwards behind the pectoral, and at first passes along the inferior 
third of the body, subsequently still lower. 
Colours—Silvery white with a slight pinkish tinge : back a little the darkest. The first three or 
four dorsal spines have a black spot upon them. A line of greenish black formed of very minute 
dots, extends along the upper third of the dorsal fin in its whole extent. Caudal extremity with a 
dark margin. Eyes silvery : tongue smooth and of a golden tinge. Pectoral greyish yellow. Skin of 
a metallic silver. 
Is very common at Cochin. Grows to twelve inches or more in length, and is good eating. 
Habitat—Malabar. 
* Trichiurus HAUMELA. 
Clupea haumela, Forsk. p. 72. 
Sawala, Bussell , pi. 41. 
Trichiurus lepturus, Ham. Bucli. pp. 31, 364. 
Trichiurus haumela, Cuv. & Val. viii. p. 249 ; Cantor , Catal. p. 113; Gunther , Catal, 
ii. p. 348. 
B. vii. D. 127-133. P. 11. 
Length of head from jt to j of the total length. Height of body from ^ to of the total 
length. 
Eyes—Diameter jt of the length of head, 21 diameters from end of snout. 
Teeth—In the upper jaw, according to Cantor, are upwards of fifteen distant teeth on either 
side, of which the anterior pair, which are present in only the very young, are directed forwards. 
Behind these appear a pair, or a single arched tooth, the posterior part of the point of which is 
barbed. Next follow three or four very small and lancet shaped, behind which is a very long 
