OCR Text |
Show 936 SURGEON F. DAY ON NEW FISHES OF MADRAS. [Nov. 28, APOGON NOTATA, sp. nov. B.vii. D.6|i P. 13. V. 1/5. A. 2/16. C. 17. L. r. 20. Length of specimens up to 3 inches. Length of head A-, of pectoral ^, of base of first dorsal i, of base of anal 5, of caudal jr of the total length. Height of head -i-, of body £, of first dorsal yL, of second dorsal ^, of ventral ^, of anal g of the total length. Eyes circular, diameter \ of length of head; \ a diameter apart, •§- of a diameter from end of snout. Body rather elongated and compressed. Mouth moderately wide, lower jaw slightly the longest; the posterior extremity of the maxilla reaches to beneath the centre of the orbit. No spines around the margin of the orbit. Angle of praeoperculum rather produced and rounded, lower limb with a single line of serrations just above the lower edge of the horizontal limb, which, however, is entire. Operculum without a spine, but ending in a soft prolongation. Teeth villiform, in numerous closely set rows in both jaws, but smallest in the upper; a row of rather larger teeth in the palatines, and a small patch on the vomer. Fins. First dorsal with very weak spines, the third of which is the longest, whilst the interspinous membrane is rather deeply emarginate. A short interspace exists between the two dorsal fins; the second dorsal highest anteriorly. First anal spine nearly half the length of the second, which is two-thirds that of the first ray. Scales deciduous. Lateral line nearly straight. Colours. White, with a pink tinge along the abdomen and on the fins. A rather large black finger-mark on the lateral line at the root of the caudal fin. Opercles silvery. In Malabar I never procured an Apogon, but the Ambassis abounds. In Madras, on the contrary, the former appear to be numerous, whilst the latter are comparatively rare. PRISTIPOMA NEILLI, sp. nov. B.vii. D. 12/14. P. 17. V. 1/5. A. 3/7. C.19. L.l. 50. L. tr. 10/15. Length of specimen 7 inches. Length of head \, of pectoral |, of base of dorsal spines rather more than |, of base of dorsal rays i, of base of anal l, of caudal i of the total length. Height of head £, of body rather more than i of dorsal spines \, of dorsal rays ^, of ventral ^, of anal spines -^, of anal rays ^ of the total length. Eyes. Upper margin near the profile, diameter 3 of length of head ; | of a diameter apart, nearly 1 diameter from end of snout. Body ovoid, moderately compressed. A rather considerable rise from the snout to the base of the dorsal fin. Jaws of about equal length, a deep groove under the symphysis of the lower jaw, with a small facet on either side of its anterior portion. |