Descriptions of Fishes from the Coast of Natal. 217 



Colour (of preserved specimen), brown, covered with numerous 

 small round blackish spots ; belly lighter, without spots ; pectorals 

 light brown ; dorsal, anal and caudal edged with white, with very 

 faint black spots. 



One specimen, 211 mm. in length, from Durban Museum. 



Another specimen (320 mm. in length) agrees very closely with 

 Boulenger's description of this species ; it was procured by the 

 ss. Pieter Faure in the large trawl, 50 fms. sand and mud, Tugela 

 River mouth N. 19f miles, and seems to belong to the same species. 

 It differs slightly in that the eye is comparatively smaller, the 

 opercular spines are about equidistant, the ventrals are much 

 shorter than the pectorals (being 54 mm. and 73 mm. respectively), 

 and the length of the head is decidedly greater than the depth of the 

 body ; the colouring is the same. 



EPINEPHELUS MOBRHUA, C. and V. 



Teeth, in narrow bands, in 2 series on the sides of the mandibles ; 

 canines moderately strong. Depth of body 3 to 3-| times in total 

 length excluding caudal, length of head 2f to 2f times. Snout 1^ to 

 1^- times diameter of eye, which is 4J times in length of head ; inter- 

 orbital width 5f to 5| times in length of head ; lower jaw projecting 

 beyond upper ; maxillary reaches to vertical of posterior border of 

 eye, the width of its distal extremity J- to T % diameter of eye ; pre- 

 operculum serrated, slightly emarginate above angle, which is 

 slightly produced and armed with 3 or 4 strong spines ; middle 

 opercular spine nearer lower than upper, lower much further back 

 than upper, opercular flap pointed ; head nearly entirely covered 

 with cycloid scales, maxillary naked ; gill-rakers 15 to 16 on lower 

 part of anterior arch, the longest as long as the gill-fringes. 



Dorsal xi 14 ; originates above base of pectorals ; 3rd and 4th 

 spines longest and about ^ length of head ; last spine J to ^ length 

 of head ; longest soft rays a little longer than longest spine. Pec- 

 torals f to f length of head. Ventrals ^ length of head, not reaching 

 anus. Anal iii 8 ; 2nd and 3rd spines about equal in length, J to 

 ^ length of head and ^ height of longest soft rays. Caudal trun- 

 cate, ^ to i length of head. Scales on body ciliated. Lat. 1. 68-78, 

 sc. 110-11214. 



Colour (of preserved specimens), greyish brown, soft dorsal and 

 caudal with dark spots in one or more rows. 



Two specimens, 367 mm. and 276 mm. in length respectively, pro- 

 cured by ss. Pieter Faure in large trawl, 46-55 fms., mud, Tugela 

 Eiver mouth, N. by W. 18 miles. 



