140 
THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 
Eyes—With adipose anterior, and posterior lids. Diameter rather more than 1, length of 
head; a diameter from end of snout, 1-| diameters apart. 
Body with the superior and inferior profiles equally convex, snout rather rounded. Head 
slightly compressed. 
Mouth transverse. Intermaxillaries very protractile, making an obtuse angle and having an 
emargination to receive the notch on the symphysis of the mandibulae. Maxilla quite hidden by 
the preorbital, which is scaled, emarginate, and indistinctly serrated: preopercle with three glands 
on its vertical margin, the superior and largest being opposite the lower margin of the orbit, and 
the inferior and smallest opposite the angle: there are also three small ones along its horizontal 
margin. Several glands exist on the summit of the head. Intermandibular space lanceolate. 
Teeth—Hone visible in the specimens obtained at Cochin. 
Fins—Pectoral pointed and reaching to the tenth scale on the lateral line. Ventral large, and 
arising under the middle of the pectoral, its spine strong and rather longer than the third spine of 
the dorsal. First dorsal arises beyond the eighth scale on the lateral line, and opposite the end 
of the pectoral; its spines are moderately slender, the first the longest and strongest, and the last 
weak and half the length of the first. The second dorsal arises midway between the commence¬ 
ment of the first dorsal and the base of the upper caudal ray, opposite the fifth ray of the anal, and 
on the nineteenth scale of the lateral line : its upper margin is concave. Anal arises in front of the 
second dorsal. Caudal lunated in its posterior foui’th. 
Scales—Over the body and head, none on the fins excepting at the base of the caudal. They 
have fine longitudinal grooves, excepting below the pectoral, where they are irregular in their course. 
An elongated scale at the bases of the dorsal, pectoral, and anal fins. 
Colours—Silvery, with a slight bronzed golden tint. Upper surface of the preopercle bright 
golden. Cheeks with a slightly golden tint. Base of pectoral jet black at its upper margin, the 
colour fading after death; posteriorly it is of a deep brown. Fins greyish, excepting the ventral 
which is colourless. Upper margin of iris bright golden. 
Grows in Malabar to about nine inches in length, and is employed as food by the Hatives. 
Habitat—Malabar and the Seas of Malaysia. 
Mugil poicilus. Plate IX. 
Mugil poicilus, Day, Proceed. Zool. Society, 1865, p. 33. 
B. V. D. 4 | 1. P. 15. V. 1 A. f. C. 14. L. 1. 32. L. tr. 10. 
Length of head about \ } of pectoral of caudal 4, of base of second dorsal j 1 ^, of base of anal 
yij of total length. Height of head of body 4, of first dorsal -g, of second dorsal j 1 ^, of ventral 4, 
of anal yo °f total length. 
Eyes—An adipose membrane extends over about one third of either side in the adult fish, 
in the young the anterior curtain is broader than the posterior one. Diameter f- of length of 
head, f of a diameter apart, 1| diameters from end of snout. 
There is not much rise from the snout to the first dorsal. Lower jaw slightly the shortest, 
curved a little upwards, and having a notch in the centre of its extremity. Upper lip broad. 
Upper jaw considerably protractile. The superior maxilla is bent downwards below and behind 
angle of mouth, where its extremity is visible. Preorbital angularly bent, with a rounded and 
finely serrated margin. Nostrils rather wide apart, the posterior the largest, and nearer the orbit 
than it is to the anterior one. Interorbital space nearly flat. Snout broad, somewhat pointed in 
