44 ACANTHOPTERTGII. 



4|- (in tlie adult) to Sj (in tlie young) in length of head, 1| diameters from end of snout, and 1 apai't. Body 

 compressed, profile above the eyes concave : the distance from the eye to the upper edge of the maxilla equals 

 If diameters of the orbit in height. The maxilla reaches to below the front edge of the orbit. Vertical limb 

 of preopercle with a very deep emargination succeeded by a broad and deep angle, its height forming half of that 

 of the vertical limb, above the notch the serrations are very fine, on the roimded, produced angle they are coarse, 

 and a few are continued along its oblique lower limb. Interopercular knob well developed. Teei/t— large canines 

 in the premaxUlaries, an outer row of curved canine-like teeth in both jaws, the most jDosterior of those in the 

 upper jaw being directed slightly forwards : vUliform teeth in a ^-form in the vomer, and in a band on the 

 palatines, none on the tongue. Fins — the third to the fifth dorsal spines the longest and equal to two-sevenths 

 of the height of the bodj', posteriorly they gradually decrease, the last being three-fourths of their height : soft 

 portion of the fin rounded in the young, more pointed in the adult, the length of the highest ray being three- 

 fifths of that of its base. Pectoral reaches to nearly above the anal, and is as long as the liead behind the 

 posterior nostril : ventral reaches the vent. Second anal spine strongest and slightly the longest, it equals the 

 highest in the dorsal fin : soft portion of the fin angular, the middle rays rather longer than its entire base. 

 Caudal slightly notched in the young, more emarginate in the adult, the upper portion being the longer. 

 Scales — go in oblique rows, directly upwards and backwards, above the lateral-line, and in sinuously oblique ones, 

 taking the same course, below the lateral-line : six rows on cheeks : superiorly tliey extend forwards to above 

 the hind edge of the eye. Free portion of the tail rather higher than long. Colours — uniform crimson, dorsal 

 and anal fins having a black edge with a white external margin, and a white tip to the caudal lobes : a dark 

 band along the base of the dorsal and anal fins : pectorals and ventrals yellow, the latter witli a dark tip : caudal 

 dark purple. In the young — body crimson, with a black band commencing at the end of the dorsal fin, and 

 covering a part of the hind end of the free portion of the tail and the caudal fin, except that it has a white 

 outer edge. 



Bleeker suggests whether Biacope axillaris, C.V. vi, p. .532, may nut be this species, but Cuv. and Yal. 

 observe that perhaps it is merely a variety of the marginafa. 



Halitat — Red Sea, Andaman islands to the South Sea, the largest specimen obtained (IH inches) is 

 figured as the adult, one of the smaller ones is given (fig. 3) life-size. This fish attains at least IG inches in 

 length. 



22. Lutianus boliar, Plate XIII, fig. 4. 



Scioina bohar, Forsk. p. 46, No. 47. 



SjHinis lepisurus, Lacep. iii, t. 1.5, f. 2. 



Lutjanus hohar, Bl. Schn. p. 325 ; Bleeker, Lutjani, p. 57. 



Diacojie hohar, Cuv. and Val. ii, p. 433 ; Riipp. Atl. Fische, p. 73, and N. W. Fische, p. 103 ; Klunz. 

 Verb. z. b. Ges Wien, 1870, p. 699. 



Biacope qioadriguttata, Cuv. and Val. ii, p. 427, vi, p. 533. 



Mesoprion q-uadriguttatus, Bleeker, Banda, -p. 233. 



Mesoprion bohar, Giinther, Catal. i, p. 190, and Fische d. Sudsee, p. 13, t. xv. 



B. vii, D. if, p. 17, Y. 1/5, A. I, C. 17, L. 1. 50, L. r. f|, L. tr. 7/18. 



Length of head 2/7, of caudal 2/9, height of body 1/3 of the total length. Egcs— diameter 2/7 of length 

 of head, 1| diameter from end of snout, and also apart. The distance from the eye to the upper edge of the 

 maxilla equals two-thirds of the diameter of the orbit. The maxilla reaches to below the middle of the eye. 

 Vertical margin of the preopercle with a shallow notch, the whole of it serrated, most strongly so at its rounded 

 and slightly produced angle, its lower limb oblique and likewise serrated : interopercle with a very small knob. 

 Teeth — a pair of large canines in the premaxillaries, an outer row of conical canine-like teeth in either jaw : 

 viUiform ones in a ^-shape on the vomer, in a band on the palatines, and in one or two long patches on the 

 tongue. Fins — dorsal spines of moderate strength, the foui-th the longest and equalling the length of the post- 

 orbital portion of the head, last dorsal spine slightly exceeding one diameter of the orbit in length : soft portion 

 of the fin rounded, the highest ray equalling two-thirds of the length of its base. Pectoral reaching to nearly 

 above the anal spines, the ventrals scarcely so far : second anal spine strongest and somewhat the longest, 

 equalling the third of the dorsal : soft portion of the fin romided and the height of the rays equalling the length 

 of the entire base of the fin, its lower edge straight : caudal somewhat deeply emarginate. Scales — in oblique 

 rows above the lateral-line and in horizontal ones below it : on the upper sui'tace of the body they reach to above 

 the hind edge of the orbit. Colours — brownish along the back becoming whiter on the sides and below : tvro 

 milk-white spots along the base of the dorsal fin, the first below the sixth to the eighth spines, the second below 

 the last thu-d of the soft dorsal : first dorsal deep blackish-brown, which is continued along the upper edge of the 

 first half of the soft dorsal : outer edges of caudal and front edge of anal blackish, the latter fin having a 

 narrow white anterior margin : ventral black, with a white outer edge. 



Habitat. — From the Red Sea through those of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. The specimen 

 figured is 6 inches in length. 



23. Lutianus marginatus, Plate XIII, fig. 5. 

 Biacope marginafa, Cuv. and Val. ii, p. 425 ; Peters, Wieg. Arch. 18-55, p. 238. 

 Biacope xanthopus, Cuv. and Val. iii, p. 495. 



