m ill
a small protuberance ât the point, adapted to a cavity for its reception in the upper. Teeth setaceous, numerous.
T ongu e short, awl-form, white ; eyes in deep orbits, small, orbicular. Nostrils double, in the middle between
the orbit and rostrum.
Opercula consists o f two laminæ, sub-membranous, witli four prickles on the edge o f the second. T h e
branchial membrane ha lf exposed, the aperture arched.
T h e trunk. T h e back, gradually assurgent from the vertex, forms a hump in the middle ; on the declivity o f
which, towards the tail, is situated the dorsal fin ; the sides much compressed, the be lly carinate, the breast
prickly.
Branchiæ foiir-Ieaved, the exterior pectinate on the inside, with very long teeth. Lateral line very slightly
curve, high, smooth, faint. T h e anus near the breast.
T h e fin s . On the ridge o f the back before the dorsal, there are seven small prickles, equidistant from each
other, unconnected, tliree pointing forward, three backward, the seventh, and anterior, is the longest, appearing
like a crest, in the shape o f the elephant’ s trunk. It is covered with a bla ck coloured skin, above which appears
its curve point, but tlie direction o f tlie crest is forward. On tlié concave side, it is connected by a very loose
membrane. Lower towards the rostrum are two other prickles, erect and very minute.
T h e dorsal fin has one spinous ray, the next ramous, is an inch long, the last ray four lines ; the pectoral
middle, lanceolate, short; the ventral ray s resemble fin g er s ,th ey cover the anus, and are placed a little more
forward than the pectoral fins. T h e long anal fin mounts towards the tail in an arch, but the rays are nearly
equal ; the caudal forked, the lobes sub-falcate.
T h e colour o f this fish, when alive, is changeable, faint red, blue, and green, on a golden ground ; that is, on
the upper part o f the head and back ; the rest a glos sy white. A ll the fins are whitish, but powdered with
minute dark points, as are also the shoulders.
T h e subject described, was five inches in length, and I did not meet with an y larger.
REMARKS.
T his fish, though the position o f its ventral fins is scarcely more forward than the pectoral, and their rays
five in number, has been placed here ; but under strong doubt o f its belonging to the genus. T h e hump on
the back, raised a suspicion o f its being allied to the new genus Kurtus,* o f which only one species (sent from
the Coromandel coast, b y the late Dr. Ko en ig ) is hitherto known. But there are strong objections to such a
conjecture.
•Bloch, PI, 169.
PISCES THORACICI.
F ISH E S WH OSE V EN T RA L F IN S A R E P L A C E D IM M E D IA T E L Y U N D E R T H E
PEC TO RA L F IN S , O R O N T H E BREAST.
E C H E N E I S .
GEN E R I C C H A R A C T E R .
Caput p ingu en u d um , depressum; supra p la num,
marginatum, transverse sulcato-ser-
ralum. Membrana branchiostefja radiis x .
Corpus nudum.
T h e h ead o ily , w itlio iu scales, d e p re ssed ;
flat above, m arg in ated , a n d i'urrowed
tran sv e rse ly w ith serrated r id g e s ; ten
ray s in th e b r a n c h ia l m em b ran e ; the
b o d y w id io u t scale.s.
No. XLIX.
E c h e n e is striis capitis v ig in ti quinque, linea elcvata in duas partes secundum longitudinem
divisis ; cauda integra.
T h e E c h e n e i s , w ith tw e n ty -fiv e tran sv e rse striæ o n th e h ead d iv id e d , d ow n the m id d le
b y a lo n g itu d in a l raised l in e ; th e tail u n d iv id e d .
Echeneis Xeucrales, L in n . S .JV . p . 4 4 6 .
C alled b y t h e N a tiv e s , A i.a M o t t a h .
B . X. D . 3 7 . P . 2 1 . V. 6 . A . 3 1 . C. 16.
T h e body long, roundish, taper, without scales; the skin coriaceous, and .somewhat roiigii, when stroaked
upwards.
T h e head oblong-ovate, broader than the body, flat above, and furnished with a long oval shield, extending
beyond the iiind head, with twenty-five oblique, transverse, curve, rough ridges, divided equally in the middle,
b y a longitudinal ridge. It is by means o f this apparatus, that the fish adheres firmly to liv ing as well as to
inanimate subjects.
T h e mouth small, transverse; the under jaw pointed, and considerably longer than the upper; botli feel
like a file, being set thick with minute, sharp, teeth. Tongue small, round, smooth, free. Palate rough. T h e
eyes high, orbicular. Nostrils double, small. Opercula gular, oblong, imperfectly divided ; most part o f the
branchial membrane exposed.
T h e iruné. T h e back and sides convex ; the belly flattisli ; the tail small, round. T h e la te ra l line conspicuous;
at first a little curve, afterwards middle, and straight. T h e anus middle and gaping.
Theyttij. T h e dorsal and ana! opposite, alike in form, and o f the same length ; they are broadest at the