152 Annals of the South African Museum. 



This fish is common on the South coast of Africa, and many 

 specimens were procured by the ss. Pieter Faure in trawling. 



It seems to us to be the same fish as P. olivaceum, Day ; and, if so, 

 this indicates a very wide distribution, as it is also recorded from 

 the Canary Islands, the coast of Algiers, and St. Vincent. 



PRISTIPOMA HASTA, Bl. 



Depth of body 2f times in total length excluding caudal, length of 

 head about 3 times. Snout about L| times diameter of eye, which is 

 4-J times in length of head and a little less than the interorbital 

 width ; jaws equal, maxillary reaches to a little beyond vertical of 

 anterior margin of eye ; posterior margin of preoperculum serrate 

 and emarginate, angle rounded and with coarser denticulations ; 

 shoulder bone serrate. 



Dorsal xii 15 ; originating above base of pectorals ; 3rd and 4th 

 spines longest, about f to | length of head, last spine nearly 1^ 

 times as long as the llth ; spinous portion of fin higher than soft, 

 and with a deep notch between. Pectorals elongate, asymmetrical, 

 i length of head ; ventrals about the same length, reaching to vent, 

 first ray about ^ longer than the strong spine. Anal iii 8 ; 2nd spine 

 very strong, longer than the 3rd, equal in length to longest dorsal 

 spine. Caudal slightly crescentic. Lat. 1. 53, lat. tr. -|. 



Colour, sides with five or six vertical bands of dark spots ; a dark 

 spot on opercle, dark spots in rows on membranes of spinous dorsal, 

 and two dark rows on soft dorsal. 



Two specimens, one 161 mm. in length, from Durban Museum, 

 the other 178 mm. in length, from Mr. Eobinson, Natal. 



PRISTIPOMA OPERCULARE, Playfair. 



Depth of body about equals length of head, and is 3 times in total 

 length excluding caudal. Snout pointed and from 1| to If times 

 diameter of eye, which is 4J to 43- times in length of head and a 

 little less than interorbital width ; preoperculum with posterior 

 margin serrate and slightly emarginate, with slightly coarser den- 

 ticulations at the rounded angle ; cleft of mouth moderate, maxillary 

 reaching to about vertical of anterior nostril. 



Dorsal xi 14 ; notched, spines of moderate strength ; 4th spine 

 highest, from to g- length of head. Pectorals about length of head. 

 Anal iii 9 ; 2nd spine strongest and longest, equal in length to 3rd 

 dorsal spine. Caudal emarginate. Lat. 1. 57-59, lat. tr. T %. 



Colour, a dark blotch at upper posterior corner of opercle ; middle 



