10 ACAiTTHOPTERTGII. 



Uses. Good as food, but coarse wlien very large. Isinglass is obtained from tbeii- air-vessels, but the 

 amount is uot very great. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Serranus Stdllcd-iv, D. ii, A. j^_-g, L. r. f|§, L. tr. 14/-10. Preopercle emarginate, and its vertical 

 border serrated. Caudal rounded. Reddish, with four vertical bands on the body : head and anterior half of 

 body spotted with red, or reddish yellow. Coasts of Sind and Aden. 



2. (S'erra?Hts rtre«?of((«, D. yJ.Vs) -A., f, L. r. 105, L. tr. 19/47. Preopercle shghtly emarginate: vertical 

 limb serrated, having coarser teeth at its angle. Caudal emarginate. Reddish-brown, with hexagonal markings 

 over the head, body, and fins, which latter have dark margins edged with white. From Aden throughout the 

 seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



.3. Serranus Waandersi, D. if, A. -|-, L. r. i|-g, L. tr. 25/.56. Upper two thirds of body, dorsal fin, and 

 upper third of caudal covered with hexagonal or rounded blotches. Seas of India to the Malay Arcliipelago. 



4. Serranus Uneatus, D. tt-ts' -^- ¥-¥' L. r. iff, L. tr. 28/48. Cfec. pyl. above 50. Preopercle with 

 several denticulations at the angle, rather well developed. Caudal rounded. Brown, with fom% five, or more 

 blue longitudinal bands. India and China, attaining at least four feet in length. 



5. Serranus merra, D. li-Vrj A. -J, L. r. ff, L. tr. 16/32. Preopercle rounded, its vertical margin 

 serrated, most coarsely at its angle. Pectoral fin as long as the head : caudal rounded. Redilish-brown 

 everywhere covered with large brown spots. 



6. Serranns hexagmiatus, D. yJ-TT> -A- f, L- i'- Wi L. tr. 13/16. Ca;c. pyl. 32. Preopercle with strongest 

 serrations at the angle. Caudal rormded. Brown, covered with large hexagonal, or rounded spots. Red Sea, 

 East coast of Africa, seas of India, Malay Archipelago to the Pacific. 



7. Serranus macuhitus, D. ii, A. J, L. r. y^e^ J^ tr. 20/45. Preopercle rounded, vertical limb serrated, 

 and most coarsely at its rather produced angle. Second, and third dorsal sjiines as long as the post-oi-bital 

 portion of the head, and longer than the I'ays. Deep grey with round black spots on the head and some of the 

 fins, becoming oval in the anterior half of the body, and rather sinuous on its posterior half. Coromandel coast 

 of India, and the Andaman islands. 



8. Serranus jlavo-cceruleus, D. T¥-rT» ^- !> ^- ^- Trf' ^- ^^- 22/. Serrations on preopercle weak, strongest 

 at its angle. Caudal slightly emarginate. Pui-plish-blue, tail and fins gamboge-yellow, ventral and anal with 

 black tips. From the East coast of Africa throughout the seas of India. 



9. Serranus fasciatus, D. |J, A. f, L. r. If. Preopercle rather strongly serrated, most so at its angle. 

 Caudal rounded. Reddish or yellowisli with indistinct vertical bands : dorsal, and caudal fins may be black 

 edged. From the Red Sea, thi-ough those of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



10. Serranus tumilahris, I), ii, A. |, L. r. fl, L. tr. 21/. Preopercle sen-ated. Caudal rounded. 

 Greyish-olive, darkest along the back. Body, and head covered with irregnlarly-sized pearly-white spots, whilst 

 a black line exists on the maxilla. Fins dark gi'cy, externally nearly black; the margins of the pectoral, 

 ventral, soft dorsal, and caudal have a very narrow white border. The whole of the dorsal fin with white spots, 

 as on the body. East coast of Afi-ica, seas of India, and Burma, to the Malay Archipelago. 



11. Serranus diacanflms, D. ii:i|, A. -5!^, L. r. VV". L. tr. 20/45. Ciec. pyl. 11. Preopercle with strong 

 teeth at its angle. Pinkish-brown on the back, rose coloured on the abdomen. Six vertical dark bands, the first 

 on the head. Fins with dark margins. Found throughout the seas of India to Java. Is very common in Sind, 

 and specimens reach 18 inches or more in length. 



12. Serranus sexfasciatus, D. ii, A. f . Two spinate teeth at the angle of the preopercle. Brownish, 

 with six vertical bands, and some irregular spots on the body. Dorsal, caudal, and anal yellow with black spots. 

 Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



13. Serranus lanceolatus, D. xi-Vsi ^- t' L. r. Vo°, L. tr. 20/52. Cajcal pylori numerous, but very 

 short. When young it is gamboge yellow, with five blackish-blue cross bands. Fins yellow -with black bands, 

 and spots. As it becomes adult the bands become broken up into irregular mai'kings, and the yellow colour 

 disappears, except from the fins, in which the black becomes also broken up into black spots. East coast of 

 Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. Very numerous at Kun-achee : it attains a large size. 



14. Serranus erijthrurus, D. ii, A. f . Preopercular border rounded, and finely serrated in its vertical 

 portion. Fins rounded. Head, and back greenish shot with red ; under sui-face of the body silveiy. Dorsal 

 greenish ; pectorals, ventrals, and anal yellowish ; tail, and free portion of caudal reddish. Specimen 8 inches 

 in length, but said to attain 4 feet. Malabar. 



15. Serranus Malaharicus, D. ri-^r^ A. f, L. r. W> L. tr. 19/50. dec. pyl. 50-60. Vertical limb of 

 preopercle serrated, strongest at tlie angle. Fins rounded. Brownish, with about eight cross bands, the first 

 over the head, the second over the nape. Head, and body covered with large round yellow spots, that usually 

 become brown in dead specimens ; yeUow spots also on the dorsal fin, which sometimes coalesce and form bands. 

 East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Philippines. It attains a very large size. 



16. Serranus corallicola, D. ri-^TJ A- h L. r. f|. Greyish-brown with black spots. Madras to the 

 Mi Jay Archipelago. 



17. Serramis salmoides, D. ts.\^, A. f, L. r. ^-^, L. tr. 24/50. Vertical limb of preopercle serrated, 

 with three or four coarse teeth at the angle. Fins rounded. Brownish yellow : body, and fins entirely covered 

 with black, or yellow spots. From the Red Sea, through the seas of India, to the Malay Ai'chipelago. 



