THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 
165 
of the river within the influence of the tides. 'The Natives consider it good eating, but it is not 
much esteemed by Europeans, on account of the large number of bones it contains. 
Habitat—Seas and estuaries (fresh water ?) of India, Malaysia, China, and North Australia. 
Belone annulata. 
Belone annulata, Cuv. & Val. xviii. p. 447, pi. 550; Cantor , Catal. p. 244. 
Wahlah kuddera, Russell , pi. 175. 
B. xiii. D. 20-23. P. 12. V. 6. A. 21-23. C. 15. 
Length of head more than -J, of pectoral of base of dorsal of base of anal of caudal 
of total length. Height of head about T \,, of body y 1 ^, of dorsal y ;i , of anal °f total length. 
Eyes—Diameter ^ of length of head, 1 diameter apart. 
Mouth from gape to the extremity one-fifth of the total length : upper and lateral surface of 
snout compressed. Lower jaw with a row of glands near its inferior margin. Head as in the 
Belone caudimaculata, but the interorbital groove is wider and shallower. The maxilla extends 
to beneath the anterior third of the orbit. The comparative size of the parts varies with age. 
Teeth—Upper jaw with small sharp teeth disposed laterally along the margin of the side of 
the jaw; they are some distance asunder, but become smaller towards the orbit: between them 
and under the margin of the jaw are numerous sharp teeth. 
Scales—On the head and opercles, scarcely perceptible. 
Lateral line—Double; the superibr passes along the upper third of the body, and 
reaches the mesial line about the centre of the body, from whence it is continued on to the 
caudal: the inferior line proceeds from near the under surface of the throat, and passes to slightly 
below the anterior margin of the ventral, which it curves round, and beyond it passes to above 
the anterior margin of the anal, from whence it proceeds direct to the centre of the caudal. 
Fins—Pectoral arises close behind the opercle : ventral midway between the posterior extre¬ 
mity of the pectoral and the centre of the anal: anal in the posterior third of the body, and the 
dorsal rather behind the anal. The last ray of the anal almost touches the base of the caudal, and 
the last rays of the dorsal extend nearly to the base of the caudal. Lower lobe of caudal the 
longest. The anterior extremities of the dorsal and anal the highest. 
Colours—Upper surface of the head and back green, with steel blue reflections, minutely 
dotted with black, fading into silvery white on the abdomen. The side of the upper jaw of a dark 
olive, of the lower silvery. A black line passes from the angle of the mouth along the base of 
the teeth. Cheeks and opercles silvery. Membranes of the dorsal, caudal, and pectoral fins of a 
light greenish grey, minutely dotted with black, especially at the margins. Anal and ventral 
anteriorly white, dotted with black. Iris silvery, the margin of the orbit black. In young 
specimens the colours vary, the upper surface is more of a yellowish green, there is a large black 
spot on the opercle, and the lower jaw is also black : a narrow silvery greenish band passes 
longitudinally above the lateral line. The posterior two-thirds of the dorsal is black, and there is 
a large black spot on the centre of the caudal. 
Grows to two feet in length, and is found in the same localities as the Belone caudimaculata. 
Habitat—Seas and estuaries of India, Malaysia, China, and North Australia. 
