32 Annals of the South African Museum. 



height. Pectorals y 7 ^ length of head. Ventrals f length of head, 

 not reaching anus. Anal iii 7, 2nd spine stronger and longer than 

 3rd and length of head ; soft rays longest anteriorly and about ^ 

 length of head ; the lower half of the fin is covered with small 

 scales as in the soft dorsal. Caudal emarginate, nearly length 

 of head, lower half of the fin with a scaly sheath and the ray 

 membranes with small scales for f their length. Lat. 1. 58, 

 lat. tr. if-. 



Colour (of preserved specimen), brownish grey ; faint narrow longi- 

 tudinal lines on head from snout and from behind eye to posterior 

 border of opercle. 



One specimen, 370 mm. in length, from Mr. Eomer Eobinson, 

 Natal. 



GEN. DENTEX, Guv. 



DENTEX FILOSUS, Val. 



Teeth, 4 canines on each jaw. Depth of body nearly 2-f times in 

 total length excluding caudal, length of head 3 times. Snout 

 slightly more than 1^- times diameter of eye, which equals the inter- 

 orbital width and is 3f times in length of head ; nape convex, 

 elevated, the profile from origin of dorsal fin to point of snout 

 making a long curve ; jaws equal ; maxillary reaches to vertical of 

 anterior margin of eye ; height of preorbital about f its length and 

 about -^~ diameter of eye ; 8 series of scales between preorbital and 

 angle of preoperculum ; opercle with a flat spine. Scales on top of 

 head extend forward in a curve to nearly the vertical of front margin 

 of eyes ; opercles and cheeks scaled. 



Dorsal xii 10 ; 3rd to 5th spines elongate and produced into a 

 filament, especially the 3rd, which is ^ length of head ; soft portion 

 of fin lower than spinous, the anterior rays |- length of head. Pec- 

 torals nearly as long as head, reaching to anal. Ventrals f length 

 of head, the rays slightly elongate. Anal iii 8 ; 2nd spine stronger 

 than 3rd and about the same height, ^ length of head ; soft rays 

 similar to those of soft dorsal and about the same height. Caudal 

 slightly more than ^V length of head, forked ; upper lobe longer than 

 lower. Lat. 1. 62, lat. tr. T s -g. 



Colour (of preserved specimen), pale reddish tint above, whitish 

 below ; dorsal fin and margin of caudal lobes tinged with black ; 

 faint irregular dark patches on back of head and behind soft dorsal. 



One specimen, 163 mm. in length, from Mr. Eomer Eobinson, 

 Natal. 



