184 
THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 
Sub-Group BAGRI, SleeTcer. 
Genus HARA, Blyth. 
Branchiostegals, ten. Head broad, depressed. Opercular bones articulated and moveable. A sepa¬ 
rate bone between basal bone of dorsal fin and end of occipital process : in adults an interspace between 
the end of occipital process and anterior extremity of intermediate bone, which is not apparent in the 
young: these bones and summit of head granulated or rough. Eyes without free orbital margins, below the 
skin. Mouth wide, anterior. Cirri eight: one pair arises at posterior nasal orifice which is some distance 
apart from the anterior which is tubular : one maxillary pair, widest at their basal halves, and two pairs 
of mandibular ones. Teeth villiform in intermaxillaries and lower jaw, and an uninterrupted band across 
vomer and palate. First dorsal with one sharp spine—sometimes denticulated—and seven rays, it is inserted 
before the ventral which has six rays. Adipose dorsal longer than the anal, which last is short. Pectoral 
spine strongly denticulated. Caudal emarginate or forked. Interbranchial membrane deeply cleft. Air 
bladder present. 
Hara Malabarica. Plate XIII. Fig. 3. 
B. x. D. 1 | 0. P. l V. 6. A. 10. C. 18. 
Length of head T 2 T , of pectoral jt, of caudal 1, of base of first dorsal l y , of base of second 
dorsal from to •§, of base of anal j T of total length. Height of head 1, of body of first 
dorsal ^ r , of ventral -1, of anal g of total length. 
Eyes—Close to profile below the skin, diameter of length of head, I f diameters from end of 
snout, 1| diameters apart. 
Form of body compressed, head broad and strongly depressed, its width being equal to 
the height of the body. There is a slight rise from the snout to opposite the orbits, from whence 
the upper profile is nearly straight: the abdominal profile is more convex than that of the back. 
Mouth anterior, gape nearly four times as wide as its cleft which does not extend so far as to 
beneath the orbits. The upper surface of the head is granulated and rather convex transversely, 
with a longitudinal central groove, extending from opposite the posterior extremity of the opercle 
to the snout, it is widest between the orbits. The occipital process in the adult is above twice as 
long as wide, and an interval equal to its length exists between it and the interneural bone which 
reaches the base of the basal one, in the immature they touch one another. The maxillary 
cirri are long, rather thick at then* bases and extend as far as the centre of the ventral fins : the 
nasal pair reach as far as the end of the opercle : the external mandibular pair go as far as the end 
of the opercle: the internal pair not quite so far. Gill membranes deeply cleft, one slightly over¬ 
lapping the other : gills four. Anus under posterior third of ventral fins. 
Teeth—A wide band of villiform teeth in intermaxillaries, also a semilunar uninterrupted one 
about one quarter as wide as long passes across the vomer and palate. 
Fins—Pectoral arises under the last quarter of the opercle : the first dorsal over the posterior 
t hir d of the pectoral spine : the ventral opposite the posterior extremity of the first dorsal, and the 
anal commences twice the length of the base of the ventral fin behind its posterior margin. First 
dorsal spine weak, and not quite half the length of the rays which are branched : the length of the 
spine equals the distance between the posterior margin of the orbit and the posterior extremity of 
the opercle. First ventral ray undivided, the rest branched, the fin situated horizontally. Pectoral 
spine strong, laterally compressed, its length equals the distance from the anterior extremity of 
the orbit to the posterior extremity of the opercle : it is armed internally with eight sharp curved 
