OCR Text |
Show 194 SURGEON F. DAY ON NEW FISHES FROM MADRAS. [Mar. 12, Teeth villiform, with an external band of recurved ones ; a large canine on either side of upper jaw near the mesial line ; and similar teeth, but with smaller canines, in the lower jaw. Teeth in vomer and palate in a recurved row. Fins. First dorsal one-third as long as the second, which is the longest; interspinous membrane slightly emarginate. Second anal spine strongest and longest. Caudal rounded ; ventral spine nearly twice as long as highest in dorsal fin, and strongly serrated internally. Colours. Dark violet, with two bluish bands, one passing from the lower margin of the orbit to the centre of the caudal fin, the other from the summit of the orbit to the centre of the soft dorsal; anterior portion of the base of the dorsal white, also the interspinous membrane between the fifth and seventh spines; the rest of the fin violet. Ventral yellowish. Caudal yellowish, with a vertical violet band in its posterior third, whilst in its anterior half the violet bands from the body cease, forming two large blotches. Hab. Madras, in the sea during the cold months of the year. Is said never to attain a large size. UPENEOIDES CAERULEUS, sp. nov. B. iv. D. 7\\. P. 15. V. 1/5. A. 7. C. 19. L. 1. 32. L. tr. 3/5. Length of specimens from 1-j^, to 3 inches. Length of head i, of pectoral -fa, of caudal ^, of base of first dorsal ^, of base of second dorsal fa, of base of anal fa of the total length. Height of head i, of body \, of first dorsal \, of second dorsal fa, of ventral fa, of anal fa of the total length. Eyes. Upper margin near the profile ; diameter nearly 3 of length of head, 1 diameter apart, and the same distance from end of snout. Form as in the other species. Maxilla broad at its posterior extremity, where it extends to beneath the anterior third of the orbit. The barbies do not extend so far as to beneath the angle of the praeoperculum. Teeth in fine villiform rows in both jaws, and in a single row in vomer and palate. Scales. Ctenoid, eight rows between the two dorsal fins. Lateral line in a single tube in each scale, which gives only one branch from its upper side. Air-bladder present. Colours. Leaden superiorly, becoming dirty white below. The first dorsal has a black tip, a widish light band along its centre, and a badly marked one on its base. The second dorsal is darkish, with a band along the centre. The extremity of the caudal is stained with black, and there is a band along the upper lobe. Pectoral, ventral, and anal yellowish. This species is said never to grow to more than 3 or 4 inches in length. It is very common at Madras during the hot months, especially in June and July. |