172 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



nostrils nor end of snout. F!ns — the fourth to the sixth dorsal spines the longest and equal to about half the 

 heif'ht of the body, interspinous membrane deeply cleft : the two dorsal fins of about the same height. Ventral 

 reaches the vent. Third anal spine the longest and equal from about 1/.5 of the total length in young specimens 

 to 1/6 in adults. Caudal forked. Scales — not fluted, eight rows between the occiput and the base of the dorsal 

 fin : seven or eight rows along the preopercle. Colours — red, with from eight to eleven longitudinal silvery 

 bands : spinous dorsal brownish black, having a white longitudinal band, the other fins rosy. 



Hahitat. — Red Sea, East coast of Africa, seas of India, to the ]\Ialay Arcliipelago, China and beyond. 



2. Holocentrum Andamanense, Plate XLI, fig. 3. 



Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 686. 



B. viii, D. 11 I 15, P. 17, V. 1/7, A. f , C. 22, L. 1. 42, L. tr. 3i/7i. 

 . Length of head 4/13 to 2/7, of caudal 1/6, height of body 3^ to 3J in the total length. _ JJyes— diameter 

 2/7 to 3f in length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and 3/4 apart, the width of the interorbital space 

 being not quite"l/.5 of that of the head. Height of head equals its lens^th behind the posterior nostril : dorsal 

 profile over the eyes slightly concave. Lower jaw a little the longer. The masUla reaches to below the first 

 third or middle of the orbit. The posterior process of the premaxillary extends to opposite the first third of the 

 eye. Vertical and horizontal limbs of preopercle rather finely denticulated, and with an entire but fluted spine 

 at its ancrle as long or 1/2 longer than the oi'bit. Opercle with two or three flat spines, the upper or central one 

 being the longest, the margin of the opercle below it spinate. Sub- and inter-opercles wholly or partially 

 serrated : preorbital with two or three truingular tooth-like processes directed downwards along its lower border, 

 and the interspace serrated. Shoulder-bone rather strongly serrated. A spine directed inwards and rather 

 upwards at the left nostiil of one specimen, not on the right side nor ia the other specimen, a bifid spine on 

 either side at end of snout. Teeth — villiform, none on the tongue. Fins — third to fifth dorsal spines the highest 

 and equal to the length of the postorbital portion of the head, the last spine much the shortest being less than 

 half the diameter of the orbit in height, interspinous membrane very slightly notched. Pectoral reaching to 

 the thirteenth scale. Third anal spine the strongest and equal to 1/6 of the total length. Caudal deeply forked. 

 Free portion of the tail as high at its commencement as it is long. Scales — 3^ rows between the lateral line and 

 the dorsal sprues, six before the dorsal tin, and seven or eight rows along the preopercle. Colours — ^uniform 

 rosy-scarlet. 



Habitat. — Andamans, from whence two specimens were procured, the longest (figured) being nine inches 

 in length. 



3. Holocentrum caudimaculatum. 



Holocentrus spimfer, Riipp. Atl. p. 86, t. xxiii, fig. 1 (not N. W. Fische, p. 97). 

 Holocentrus caiidimacnlatus, Riipp. N. W. Fische, p. 97. 

 Holocentrum spiniferum, Cuv. and Val. iii, p. 206, vii, p. 498. 

 Holocentrus ruber, Bennett, Fish. Ceylon, p. 4, t. iv. 



Holocentrum caudimaculatum, Gm\t\\cY, C?ita\. \, p. 41, and Garrett, Fische d. Sudsee, p. 9.> ; Playfair, 

 P. Z. S. 1867, p. 855 ; Klunz. Fische Roth. Meer, 1870, p. 724; Bleeker, Revis. Holoc. p. 22. 

 Holocentrum leonoides, Bleeker, Celebes, p. 71, and Perc. p. 54. 



B. viii, D. 11 I 13-14, P. 14, V. 1/7, A. |, C. 19, L. 1. 40-43, L. tr. 3~5/7i 



Length of head 3^, of pectoral 1/5, of caudal 4|, height of body 1/3 to 3j in the total length. Eyes — 

 diameter 2/5 to 1/3 of tlie length of head, from 1/2 to 2,3 of a diameter apart and also from the end of snout, 

 the width of the interorbital space about 1/5 of the length of the head. Height of the head equals its length 

 excluding the snout, and its width equals half its length. Jaws of about equal length anteriorly, the maxilla 

 reaches to below the middle of the orbit. Preorbital serrated and anteriorly with a rather large blunt spine 

 pointing downwards. Opercular bones serrated, the upper opercular spine the longer : the preopercular spine 

 as long as or longer than the orbit. Shoulder-bone serrated. Two intra-nasal spines. Teeth — villiform. Fins — 

 the fourth dorsal spine the longest and equal to about 2/5 of the height of the body, but not so high as the soft 

 dorsal : dorsal interspinous membrane rather deeply emarginate. Thu-d anal spine longest and strongest 

 equalling about 2/9 of the total length. Caudal forked. Scales — seven or eight rows between the occiput and 

 the base of the dorsal fin : seven or eight rows along the preopercle. Colours — red, more or less longitudinally 

 banded with violet, and having a white spot over the free portion of the tail behind the end of the dorsal fin. 



Habitat. — Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



4. Holocentrum rubrum, Plate XLI, fig. 4. 



Scicena riilira, Forsk. p. 48 (not Bl. Sclm.) 

 Perea rubra, Bl. Schn. p. 90. 

 Perca praslin, Lacep. iv, p. 418. 

 Holocentre ti'tracanthe, Lacep. iv, p. 3.34. 



HolocentrtiM alboruhruni, Lacep. iv, p. 372; Richards. Ich. China, p. 223; Bleeker, Fish. Ind. Arch. p. 2. 

 Holocentrus niber, Riippell, Atl. p. 83, t. xxii, f. 1, and N. W. Fische, p. 96. 



Holocentrum Orientale, Cuv. and Val. iii, p. 197, vii, p. 497; Bleeker, Perc. p. 53; Jerdon, M. J. L. and 

 Sc. 1851, p. 131. 



Holocentrum marr/iuatum et laticeps, Cuv. and Val. iii, pp. 216, 211, and vii, p. 500 (not Giinther). 



