THE FISIIES OF MALABAR. 
81 
Lateral line—First passes in tlie form of small round scales upwards, then below the third 
spine of the first dorsal bends suddenly downwards, and from opposite the first third of the pectoral 
proceeds straight to the caudal, in the form of a raised sharp keel, which becomes more prominent 
as the tail is approached, where each of these scales have broad lateral processes. 
Colours—Back glossy green, abdomen silvery white tinged with yellow. A large black spot 
on the upper and posterior part of opercles. Pectoral, ventral, and anal yellow. Dorsals and 
caudal tipped with black, and the posterior edge of the caudal also stained dark. 
Common, but not frequently seen above nine inches in length, although sometimes it attains 
eleven. Not much esteemed as food by Europeans, but employed for such by the Natives. 
Habitat—Bed Sea, Seas of India and Malaysia. 
b. With one detached ray behind dorsal and anal fins. 
Caranx kurra. 
Kurra wodagawah, Bussell , pi. 139. 
Caranx kurra, Guv. & Val. ix. p. 44 (not Gunther). 
B. vii. D. 8 I Jq I i. P.25. V. }. A. 2 | ^ | i. C. 17. L. 1. 33. 
Length of head rather above of pectoral y, of caudal jf, of base of first dorsal of base of 
second dorsal ]>, of base of anal f of the total length. Height of head ( 1, of body of first dorsal I, 
of second dorsal y^y, of anal yly, of ventral of the total length. 
Eyes—Diameter of length of head A l diameter from end of snout, 1 diameter apart. 
Body and head of equal height, tapering off opposite the commencement of the second 
dorsal. 
Mouth oblique, lower jaw compressed and the longest: the posterior extremity of the maxilla 
extends to beneath the anterior margin of the orbit: the intermaxillaries considerably protractile. 
Preorbital broad, with four or five radiating ridges. Preopercle as broad as high, its angle rounded. 
Opercle with an emargination on its posterior border, and six ridges arising from its anterior 
superior margin proceeding backwards and downwards. A moderately strong longitudinal ridge 
extends along the centre of the upper surface of the skull. Nostrils approximating : the posterior 
bean-shaped and larger than the anterior, which is round. 
Teeth—A single row of sharp recurved teeth in both jaws : a triangular spot of teeth at 
anterior extremity of vomer, with a narrow row proceeding posteriorly from its centre, a row of 
teeth on either palatine bone : three rows of sharp recurved teeth along the centre of the tongue. 
Fins—The first dorsal commences opposite the anterior fourth of the pectoral, which last is 
falcate, and reaches as far as opposite the free anal spines : ventral arises rather posterior to the origin 
of the pectoral; its spine is weak : anal free spines of equal length: anal fin commences opposite the 
sixth ray of the second dorsal. First dorsal nearly triangular, spines weak, the third the longest. 
Third ray of second dorsal the longest, as is also the third ray of the anal. The last ray of both 
the second dorsal and of the anal detached. Caudal with deeply pointed lobes. 
Scales—Exist over the whole of the body, chest, upper surface of the head as far as to opposite 
the orbits, and the upper portions of both opercle and preopercle. 
Lateral line—Nearly straight until opposite the end of the first dorsal, it then slopes down¬ 
wards, and under the fifteenth ray of the second dorsal passes direct in a keeled line to the centre 
of the caudal: the mailed scales are at first but moderately so, the broadest equal one quarter of 
the height of the body. 
M 
