THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 
73 
B. vii. D. 3-6 | ggLg. P. 18. V. I. A. C. 17. Ceec. pylor. 12-15. Yert. 
Length of head of pectoral of ventral - 2 ~, of caudal \ of the total length. Height of 
head of body of second dorsal of total length. 
Eyes—Each surrounded by a circular adipose membrane, diameter -I of the length of head, 
and 1 diameter from end of snout. 
The curve of the profile of the back is nearly equal to that of the abdomen. 
Mouth moderately cleft, the lower jaw rather advanced beyond the upper: the posterior 
extremity of maxilla extends to beneath the anterior margin of the orbit. Angle of preopercle 
rounded, its border extremely finely crenulated : opercle striated in shallow grooves. The orifices 
of the nostrils approximate, are close to the upper profile, and rather nearer to the end of the 
mouth than they are to the eye. 
Teeth—Villiform in both jaws, vomer, and palatine bones. 
Fins—Pectoral oval and situated slightly below the middle line of the body; ventrals close 
together, and arise opposite the anterior third of the pectoral: first dorsal begins opposite end 
of pectoral; second dorsal, in middle of the body : anal, below centre of second dorsal. The first 
dorsal consists of very small spines. The spine of the second dorsal is one-third the length of the 
anterior rays which are the longest, and they gradually diminish to about the twelfth, the last two 
or three are slightly prolonged. Ventral pointed, its spine two-thirds the length of the first ray. 
Two small free spines before the anal. 
Scales—Small on the top of the head, the cheeks, and over the body, except on a small spot 
above the base of the pectoral fin, which is destitute of scales. 
Lateral line—Consists of a straight series of very small elevations: above the pectoral it 
forms a curve which descends to the centre of the body which it reaches below the anterior third 
of the second dorsal, from whence it is continued straight to the centre of the caudal, where it 
forms an horizontal elevated keel close to its base. 
Colours—Bluish silvery grey, darkest towards the back; large vertical blue or violet bands 
pass down the body; the number is generally five on the body, one on the head, and one on 
the caudal fin. The first on the body is behind the opercle, the second passes down from the first 
dorsal, the third from the anterior third of the second dorsal to before the anal, and the two last 
from the second dorsal to the anal. Caudal dark blue tipped with black and margined with 
pure white. Pectoral white with violet tip, ventral nearly black, with white points. Iris 
golden. 
Grows to one foot in length, and is good eating. 
Habitat—Seas of India, and nearly all those of temperate and tropical regions. 
Genus ELACATE, Cuvier. 
Branch iostegals, seven: pseudobranchise. Body elongated, fusiform ; head depressed. Eyes lateral. 
Cleft of mouth moderately deep. Infraorbital bones do not articulate with the preopercle. Two 
dorsals, the first formed of eight small and free spines, the soft dorsal of greater extent thau the spinous. 
Ventrals thoracic ; no spurious fins, or keel on tail. Villiform teeth on jaws, vomer, and palatine bones. 
No air bladder. Csecal appendages in enormous numbers, and subdividing into minute branches. 
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