THE FISHES OF MALABAR. 
259 
Eyes—Rather nearer the gill -openings than the muzzle. Diameter ^ of length of head; 2 dia¬ 
meters apart in front, but further behind. 
Nostrils broad, and open, situated above, and slightly behind the anterior margin of the orbit. 
Fins—Dorsal arises at commencement of the last fourth of the body, and its posterior margin 
is above the first ray of the anal. All the fins are rounded. First three dorsal and two anal rays 
are undivided. 
Spines—Short, some distance asunder, and commencing from the occiput, pass along the back 
two-thirds of the distance towards the commencement of the dorsal fin : interiorly the spines begin 
from below the orbit, surround the lower and posterior margins of the pectoral fin, and are con¬ 
tinued as far as the anus; at first they are directed backwards, but from the posterior margin of 
the pectoral they are turned downwards. 
Lateral line—Curves upwards from above the pectoral fin, and is continued to the centre of 
the caudal. It is very indistinct. 
Colours—Back light green; abdomen silvery white. Back and sides covered with emerald- 
green spots, a bar of the same colour passes across the vertex from one eye to the other, and also 
goes backwards in the mesial line towards a second in-egular band of the same colour, which 
passes across the back more posteriorly. Eye brown, with a golden rim surrounding the iris. 
Caudal and anal tipped with black. Dorsal yellowish. Four black spots under the throat. 
Rare, grows to six inches in length. 
Habitat—Cochin on the Malabar Coast. 
Family BALISTISIDyE. 
Genus ALUTARIUS, Cuvier. 
Body elongated, compressed, and covered with fine, closely set granules, scarcely visible to the naked 
eye. Pelvis entirely hidden beneath the skin. Two dorsal fins, the anterior having its first spine elon¬ 
gated, moderately stout, and capable of being laid flat in a groove posterior to it. 
Alutarius LyEVIS. 
BALISTES LyEVIS, Bloch , t. 414. 
Alutarius l^evis, Cantor , Catal. p. 355, 
Mullah purroait, Mai. 
B. vi. D. 2 | 46. P. 15. A. 49. C. 12. 
Length of head f, of pectoral A, of caudal f, of base of first dorsal about Ac of base of 
second dorsal of base of anal ^ of total length. Height of head U of body rather above 4, of 
first dorsal of second dorsal about Ao> °f anal about A °f total length. 
Eyes—Oval, situated close to the profile, behind the posterior extremity of the opercles, and 
under the first dorsal fin : horizontal diameter 1, vertical diameter of length of head, -31. dia¬ 
meters from end of snout, nearly 1 diameter apart. 
Body elongated and compressed, terminating in a point at the snout, but broad at the base of 
caudal fin. Profile rises to the first dorsal, from whence it sinks slightly to the caudal. 
