The Arius genus of fishes, of the Indian, 1Malay, and Javanese seas, furnish isinglaas. A. arius, Buchanan Hamilton, inhabits the Gangetic estuaries near Pondicherry, and tha estuaries near Penang, the Malay Peninsula, and Singapore. It is 22 inches long, fonns an article of food, and more than any other of the Siluridm contributes to tho isinglass of Indian commerce.
• Arius militaris, Linn., 18 inches long, inhabits the Coromandel and Malabar coasts, the Ganges, Irawadi, and the seas and estuaries of the Malay Peninsula. Its air-vessel is preserved as isinglass.
A marine siluroid fish, ono of the Ariinte, noted for the males carrying the eggs in their mouths nntil the young are hatthed ; consequently during this period they have to abstain from all food.
The bodies of the genus Clumda (Chandi, Hum., silver) are more or less diaphonous.
Batrachus grunniens, Linn. The natives of India attribute poisonous qualities to these fishes, and reject them even as manure. The creaking sound they emit has been noted by Buchanan. They are capable of living a considerable time out of their element.
C'helmon rostratus looks for an insect on the foliage overhanging its pool, and suddenly shoots on it from below a drop of water, which brings the insect down. The Javanese keep them for their amusement. Surgeon James Mitchell, R.N., mentions having seen some archer fish kept in a pond at Java in 1822. In the pond was a polo with cross bits of wood, on whtch were placed beetles, and the fish discharged from their mouths a small jet of water with such precision as to force them from the twig into the water. These fish were about 5 or 6 inches long, with blackish stripes. Chwtodon prmtextatus, Cantor, like other species of this and the neighbouring genera, ex pires immediately when removed from its element. ft appears to be allied to C. reticulatus and C. lunula, Cuv. and Val. The gaudiest fush live among the coral reefs, such as species of the Chretodon, tho Balistinre, and Glyphisodon. The Mesoprion annularis of the Indian Ocean feeds on crustacea, and is distinguished for the beauty of its colours and the symmetry of its form.
Clupeonia perforata, Cantor, inhabits the sea of Penang, Malayan Peninsula, Singapore, and Sumatra. Total length, 51 inches. They are of
delicate flavour, and pass in the Settlements of the Straits as sardines, in imitation of which they are sometimes preserved in oil. It has a resem blance to Alausa argyrochloris, Can. et Val. (vol. xx. p. 440). The general form, the yellow dorsal tin with a small black spot, give it a certain re semblance to Meletta venenosa, Cum et Val. (vol. xx. p. 377). 'Mr. Lewis says that during his official residence at Bencoolen in 1822, great numbers of what were supposed to be this identical species, presented the unusual appearance of having red eyes. Many natives, after having eaten these fishes, were suddenly attacked with violent vomit ing, which in cases where remedies were not im mediately applied, was known within an hour to terminate fatally. At the same time, such of these fishes with the ordinary silvery eyes were as formerly eaten with impunity. This pheno menon recurred at Bencoolen during the seasons of 1823 and 1825, but not of 1824. It was surmised that the poisonous fishes had fed on a gelatinous substance which at that seasou exudes from the beautifully coloured coral recta on that part of the coast of Sumatra. It ia, however, more probable that the poisonous flahes were shoals of Ifeletta venenosa, an inhabitant of the Seychelles and the neighbouring seas, which happened in those seasons to viait Sumatra.
Valenciennes describes this fish as being poisonous, and producing effects as noted above. In the Straits of Malacca, Clupeonia perforata has never bean known to produce bad effects.
CO in m species are the seer fish,largely used as food.
Dussumieria acnta, Cuv. and Val. xx. p. 467, pl. 606, is the Tamban bulat of the Malays. Single individuals occur at Penang at all seasons, but numbers from June to September. It is highly valued for its delicate flavour, and passes com monly as a sardine. The latter denomination it shares, however, with Clupeonia perforata, with which it is also confounded by tho Malays under the common name of Ikan tamban. Both species have been prepared as sardines d hulk.