82 
THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 
Colours—Deep bluish green or plumbaceous above, and silvery white beneath. A deep black 
spot exists on the upper margin of the opercle, and the upper surface of the head is minutely 
dotted with black. Fins yellow, the dorsal and caudal fins with some fine black dots, especially 
at their margins. Iris golden. 
Habitat—Seas of India and Red Sea. 
c. None of the posterior rays of dorsal or anal fins detached. 
1. None of the fin rays elongated. 
Cakanx mate. 
Caranx mate, Cuv. & Veil. ix. p. 54 ; Cantor , Catal. p. 125. 
Caranx xanthurus, Cuv. & Val. ix. p. 55 ; Gunther , Catal. ii. p. 434. 
Batta parra, Mai. 
B. vii. D. 8 | Jj. P. 20. V. \. A. 2 | T \. L. 1. 40-45. 
Length of head §, of pectoral nearly of caudal more than j, of base of first dorsal -j^, of 
base of second dorsal lr, of base of anal f- of total length. Height of head of body nearly 
of first dorsal y X y, of second dorsal y, of ventral y 0 -, of caudal y^ of total length. 
Eyes—Each with an adipose covering extending for one third across either side, and a vertical 
elliptical opening : diameter J length of head, | of a diameter from end of snout, 1 diameter 
apart. 
Body elliptical, but becoming more elongated posteriorly. Upper and lower profile equally 
curved. 
Mouth rather oblique, lower jaw longest, a tubercle at symphysis, the posterior extremity 
of the maxilla reaches to under the anterior third of the orbit. Opercle twice as high as broad, 
lower or posterior-inferior margin rather concave in the centre : subopercle very narrow superiorly : 
preopercle wide 3 preorbital rather wide, with three or four radiating ridges. A rather high long 
ridge runs along the centre of the skull, and above the orbit there is another parallel with it, which 
at the summit of the orbit divides posteriorly into two. Nostrils single, at the anterior superior 
margin of the orbit, and at a short distance from it, close to the origin of the elevated ridges on 
the head. 
Teeth—A fine single band of villiform ones in both jaws, a single row in palatines, and the 
same in a triangular spot on the vomer. Some fine teeth along the centre of the tongue. 
Fins—Pectoral arises opposite the most concave portion of the lower margin of the opercle, 
and on a line with the ventral 3 the first dorsal being slightly posterior to it, and the second dorsal 
rather nearer the snout than the base of the caudal. Anal commences opposite eighth dorsal ray. 
First dorsal triangular, with a horizontal spine in front: first spine half the height of the second, 
which is the longest, from whence they decrease rapidly to the last: membrane rather deeply 
notched. First two rays of the second dorsal undivided 3 the upper margin of the fin slopes 
off gradually backwards, the last ray is rather prolonged. Pectoral falcate, and reaching to 
opposite the eleventh ray of the second dorsal. Ventral spine weak. Of the free anal spines, the 
first is rather more than twice as long as the second. The lower border of the anal fin is at first 
rather concave, but after the sixth ray it is parallel to the abdomen 3 its last ray is prolonged. 
Caudal rather deeply lobed, the upper one being usually the longest, and rather exceeding the 
length of the head. The portion of the tail, which is finless, equals the base of the first dorsal fin. 
