66 Annals of the Son/li African Museum. 



dorsal spine ; longest soft rays equal length of base of fin ; lower 

 edge of fin rounded. Caudal emarginate. Scales in oblique rows 

 above the lateral line, in horizontal rows below it; superiorly they 

 extend forward to above anterior third of eye ; suborbital ring scaled 

 and one or two scales on preorbital. Lat. 1. 56, lat. tr. -j*,. 



Colour (of preserved specimen), pale brown, slightly darker above 

 than below, with a more or less circular dark patch on lateral line 

 below the last dorsal spines and the anterior rays ; 3 narrow bluish 

 streaks or lines from eye to below dorsal fin, one from upper edge of 

 operculum to base of posterior soft rays of dorsal, one below it along 

 the body traversing margin of caudal peduncle, another from oper- 

 cular spine to base of caudal passing along middle of caudal peduncle. 



One specimen, 96 mm. in length, from Mr. Eomer Eobinson, Natal. 



GEN. EPINEPHELUS, Bl. 



EPINEPHELUS PRAEOPERCULARIS, Blgr. 

 Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1887, p. 654, 1887. 



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

 canines strong. Depth of body 2 fa times in total length excluding 

 caudal, length of head 2 times. Snout If times diameter of eye, 

 which is 5f times in length of head and equals interorbital width ; 

 lower jaw projecting; maxillary reaches scarcely to posterior margin 

 of eye, the width of its distal extremity diameter of eye ; vertical 

 limb of preoperculum serrated, emarginate above the angle which 

 is feebly produced and armed with strong spines ; middle opercular 

 spine nearer to lower than to upper, lower much further back than 

 upper, opercular flap pointed ; head nearly entirely covered with 

 cycloid scales, maxillary naked. Gillrakers (removed in specimen). 



Dorsal xi 15, originating above base of pectorals ; 3rd spine longest, 

 nearly | length of head, last spine a little more than f length of head ; 

 longest soft rays a little less than longest spine. Pectorals a little 

 more than ^ length of head. Ventrals a little more than f length of 

 head and not quite reaching anus. Anal iii 8 ; 2nd spine slightly 

 longer and much stronger than 3rd, a little more than f longest 

 dorsal spine and much shorter than soft rays. Caudal truncate, | 

 length of head. Scales 125, ciliated. Lat. 1. 68, lat. tr. -^. 



Colour (of preserved specimen), light greyish brown, darker above 

 than below ; sides with small dark spots sparsely scattered in irre- 

 gular rows; 2 dark lines from lower and posterior margin of eye 



