160 
THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 
total length. Height of head of body J, of hard dorsal jt, of soft dorsal of base of caudal 7 j, 
of ventral J. ; of anal of total length. 
Eyes—In upper part of the head, and close to the profile. Horizontal diameter -|, vertical * 
diameter 1 of length of head, -j of a horizontal diameter from end of snout, and the same distance 
apart. 
Body compressed, and of a long ovoid shape, broadest in front: the rise from the snout to the 
first dorsal is abrupt. There is a slight elevation on the snout, another just in front of the orbits, 
and a depression over the centre of the orbits. From the mouth to the ventrals, the profile is 
nearly straight. 
Mouth comparatively small, compressed, and wide. Maxilla extends to beneath the anterior 
third of the orbit, and is overlapped by the anterior portion of the preorbital. Upper jaw pro- 
trusible. Preorbital nearly triangular. Preopercle finely serrated, with the vertical limb rather 
oblique, and the angle produced and rounded; the horizontal limb half the height of the vertical 
one. Opercles narrow, three times higher than wide. Nostrils over the anterior third of the 
orbits, approximating' behind, the largest with a bony ridge over it, and an oval depression pos¬ 
teriorly. 
Fins—-Pectoral and dorsal arise on a line, ventral slightly behind; anal opposite the fifth 
dorsal ray. Dorsal highest in front, the second spine the longest, from whence they gradually 
decrease to the last: the membrane rather deeply notched. Pectoral long, pointed, and extending 
nearly to the end of the anal fin. Ventral spine moderately strong. The second spine of the anal 
much the strongest, and of the same length as the third. Caudal deeply lobed. Dorsal and 
anal with a scaly sheath along each of their bases. 
Scales—Rather deciduous. 
Lateral line—Follows the curve of the back in its upper third. 
Colours—Greyish silvery above, with a purplish reflection, and fading to silvery on the abdo¬ 
men. A row of dark spots extends along the base of the dorsal fin. His yellowish, with some 
minute black points. The young have indistinct cross bands. 
Grows to eight inches in length, and is eaten by the Natives. 
Habitat—Seas of India and China. 
* Geeees limbatus. 
Geeees limbatus, Guv. & Val. vi. p. 476 ; Gunther , Catal. iv. p. 259. 
Catoch^enum limbatum, Cantor , Catal. p. 55. 
B. vi. D. T V P. 15. V. 1. A. T _V C. 17. L. 1. 37. L. tr. T %. 
Height of body pjy of total length. 
Eyes—Diameter f of length of head, rather more than 1 diameter from end of snout, 
1 diameter apart. 
Mouth very protractile. The preorbital and preopercle entire, but in the young the lower 
margin of the latter is toothed. The groove for the processes of the intermaxillaries is devoid of 
scales, and extends rather beyond the anterior margin of the orbit. 
Teeth—Velvety in the jaws. 
Fins—The second spine of the dorsal is much longer than the third, in the adult being above 
half the height of the body in length : but in the young the two spines are of equal length : the 
scaly sheath to the fin is moderately developed. The second anal spine is stronger and a little 
longer than the third, being more than half the length of the second dorsal spine. 
