258 
THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 
occasionally eat them, but as tliey frequently cause indigestion and irritation of tlie intestines, 
they are generally avoided as food. The Native doctors prescribe them in cases of phthisis. 
Habitat—Seas and estuaries of Malabar, Malaysia, China, and Japan. 
Cbayeacton Coctiinensis. Plate XX. f. 2. 
Craybacion Cochinensis, Day , Proc, Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 314. 
B.v. D. 9. P.18. A. 10. C. 11. 
Length of head nearly of pectoral X, of base of dorsal y, of base of anal ^, of caudal 4 of 
total length. 
Eyes—Diameter y of length of head, 21 diameters apart posteriorly, If anteriorly, 2 diameters 
from end of snout. 
Fins—Dorsal arises at the commencement of the posterior third of the back, and at a distance 
equal to its base in front of the anterior margin of the anal. All the fins are rounded. The first 
ray of the anal, and three first of the dorsal are undivided. 
Spines—Single, sharp, closely set, commencing from the interorbital space, and behind the 
upper and lower jaws, and continued on the back as far as the anus. Anteriorly from the inter¬ 
orbital space they are continued in rather a fine band, surrounding the nostrils, posteriorly in a 
crescentic form. There are none on the space around the pectoral fin anteriorly. Nostrils pro¬ 
vided with a broad, imperforate, bifurcated tentacle, and placed above and slightly behind the 
anterior margin of the orbit. 
Colours—Olive green on the back, becoming lighter on the sides, and dirty white on the 
abdomen. A large spot of pure white—longer than the diameter of the eye—exists over each orbit. 
Dorsal, caudal, and anal fins of a yellowish green, stained with a darker shade at their extremities. 
Pectoral brownish olive. 
Pare. A single specimen was captured in June, 1863, five and a half inches in length. 
Habitat—Cochin on the Malabar coast. 
Genus LEIODON, Swains. 
Leiosomus, Swains. 
Ciielonodon, Midi. 
Aphanacantitus, tetrodon, et monotretus, Bib. 
Differs from the Tetraodon and Crayracion , in that the nostrils are situated on either side in a wide 
imperforate pit having raised edges. Body above and below spinate or smooth. Lateral line simple. 
Dorsal and anal fins short. 
Leiodon yiridipunctatus. Plate XX. f. 2. 
Leiodon yiridipunctatus, Day 1 Proc. Zool. Society, 1865, p. 315. 
B.v. D. 12. P.18. A. 11. C. 10. 
Length of head of pectoral of base of dorsal T y, of base of anal of caudal of the 
total length. 
O 
