122 ' ENDEAVOUR " SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



premaxillaries, and are expanded on each side of the 

 symphyses, but become rapidly narrower backwards. A 

 triangular patch of similar teeth on the vomer, with an 

 elongate posterior extension ; an elongate-ovate patch on 

 each palatine bone, and on the tongue. Gill-rakers elongate, 

 sixteen on the lower limb of the first arch ; the longest are 

 more than three-fourths the eye-diameter. 



Body closely covered with small cycloid scales, which are 

 irregularly arranged ; they extend forward on the nape to 

 a point in advance of the preopercular margin. Dorsal and 

 anal fin each with an ensiform scaly sheath anteriorly ; a 

 broad, sub-quadrate patch of scales covers the base of the 

 caudal, and extends almost to the ends of the median rays. 

 Lateral line a little arched anteriorly, reaching the median 

 line of the body below the second fourth of the soft dorsal 

 fin, thence straight to the middle of the caudal peduncle ; 

 it is slightly keeled on the latter, the keel being more de- 

 veloped in the smaller than in the larger specimen. Upper 

 and lower surfaces of caudal peduncle with a slight pit at 

 the base of the fin. 



Spinous dorsal commencing above the middle or hinder 

 half of the pectoral ; its median spines are the highest. 

 Anterior portions of dorsal and anal fins produced into 

 angular lobes ; median rays shortest, the posterior ones 

 increasing somewhat in length. Pectoral short, pointed 

 above, the margin rounded. Ventrals inserted a little 

 behind the pectorals, pointed, the hinder margin truncate. 

 Caudal deeply forked. 



Colour. Upper half of body dark, the lower silvery, the 

 junction of the two colours somewhat sharply defined ; in 

 life a yellow stripe commences behind the eye, and traverses 

 the median line of the body. Fins without definite markings. 



Described from two specimens 433 and 725 mm. long from 

 the snout to the end of the median caudal rays ; the larger 

 example is figured. 



This species has been confused with the Atlantic S. lalandi, 

 Guv. & Val., but it differs from Jordan and Evermann's 

 figure 1 of that species in being more slender, and in having 

 the upper profile of the head less convex. It is possibly 

 identical with S. aureovittata, Schlegel, as suggested by McCoy, 

 but the illustrations 2 of that species indicate that the 

 Japanese fish is somewhat deeper in form than the Australian 

 one. 



1. Jordan & Evermann Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus., No. 47, 1896, p. 903, pi. 

 cxl., fi?. 382. 



2. Schlegel Faun. Japon., Poiss., 1845, p. 115, pi. Ixii., fig. 1. Id., 

 Tanaka, Cat. Fish. Japan, 1913, p. 126, fig. 90. 



