48 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



to below the front edge of tlie orbit ; jaws of equal lenartli in fi-ont. Vertical limb of preopei'cle -witli a shallow 

 emargination, having fine serrations which are lost at the angle : a slight interopercular knob. Teeth — one or 

 two large curved canines in the premaxillaries, and an external row of curved canine-like teeth in the upper jaw, 

 rather larger ones, less cmwed and wider apart in the lower jaw : villiform ones in a ^^^-shaped band in the vomer, 

 an elongated one on the palatines, but none on the tongue. Fins — third to fifth dorsal spines the longest, nearly- 

 equal to the length of the postorbital portion of the head and two-fifths the height of the body, posteriorly they 

 decrease to the last : soft portion of the fin rounded and lower than the spinous, its longest ray equal to one half 

 the length of its base. Pectoral as long as the head behind the anterior nostril, or even longer in some specimens : 

 ventral reaches two-thirds of the distance to the anal. Second anal spine the strongest, visually not cpiite so long 

 as the third which equals one diameter and a quarter of the eye in length, its first rays highest, its lower margin 

 rounded : caudal forked, upper lobe the longer. Scales — in oblique rows above the lateral-line, and in horizontal 

 ones below it : they extend forwards to above the hind edge of the orbit : seven or eight rows across the cheeks. 

 Colours — whitish, -with sis longitudinal black bands along the body, and sis badly marked short vertical ones in 

 its upper third, descending fi'om the base of the dorsal fin, the crossing of these two sets of bands leaves large 

 uncovered whitish spots of ground colour ; a deep black spot at the root of the caudal fin. A white band across 

 the occiput, which is continued on to the preopercle. Fins greyish, anal with a white front edge. 



Hahitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, and beyond. The one figui-ed (9| inches long) is from 

 .the An damans, where it is a very common species and readily captured with a bait. 



Third group — Priacanthina. 

 Lower jaw prominent. Cleft of mouth almost vertical. Scales ctenoid, small. Caecal appendages few. 



Genus, 9 — Peiacaxthus, Cuv. and Val. 



Brancln'osfegals six: psezulohrancJiim. Body ohlong and someirliat elevated. Eyes large. Iiower jaw 

 prominent. Preopercle serrated on both limhs as Well as on the angle v-hich is pirodticed into a flattened spine-like 

 point ; opercle with a point. Teeth villiform in the jaws, vomer, and palate, none on the tongue. A single dorsal Jin, 

 vnth nine to ten spines ; anal with three. Scales small and ctenoid, extended on to the snout. 



Geographical distrilnifion. — Tropical seas. They do not appear to be veiy common in India, none 

 have been seen by me in the fresh state : Russell does not figure any. Amongst Sir Walter Elliot's drawings 

 named by Jerdon are two of this Genus : the first appears to be P. Blochii: the second termed Priacanthus 

 l-e-v.-aie has D. \^, A. -f^, and is of the same shape but of a much lighter colour : the ventral fin is spotted with 

 brown, whilst there are two or more large blackifih-brown blotches between the inner rays and the body : the 

 length of the longest figure is 4i inches. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 

 1. Friaranthns Blochii. D. \%, A. ■^. Light lake red, the vertical and ventral fins with a naiTow black 

 edge. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



1. Priacanthus Blochii, Plate VIII, fig. 2. 



Anthias maerophthalmus, Bl. vi, p. 115, t. 319 ; Bl. Schn. p. 304. 



Priacanthus Blochii, Blecker, Nat. Tyds. Ned. Ind. iv, p. 456 ; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 218. 



B. vi,D. T^.a^, p. 18, V. 1/5, A. A, C. 17, L. r. 110-120. 



Length of head 3/11, of caudal 2/13, height of body 3/11 of the total length. Eyes — large, in the middle 

 of the length of the head, 1/2 a diameter from the end of snout and the same distance from the posterior end of 

 the opercle. Lower jaw strongly prominent. The angle of the preopercle provided with a strong spinate 

 point, it and the vertical as well as the horizontal edges of the preopercle sei-rated : preorbital also serrated along 

 both its upper and lower borders. The maxilla reaches to almost below the first third of the orbit. Teeth — 

 villiform in the jaws, vomer, and palate. Fins — dorsal spines of moderate strength, increasing in length to the 

 last, which however is not quite so long as the rays ; the first few are roughened anteriorly. Pectoral short, 

 equalling two-fifths of the height of the body : ventral spine serrated on both edges : anal spines serrated 

 anteriorly, the third being the longest : caudal cut squai'e. Colours — of a light lak€-red, all the vertical as well 

 as the ventral fins having a naiTOw black border. 



Amongst Sir W." Elliot's drawings is one named Priacanthus? Pasoowa which appears to be this species 

 from Madras : it wants however the black edge to the fins, which also is very slightly apparent in Bloch's 

 specimen. Jerdon remarks, (M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 131.) ''Priacanthus. I possess drawings of apparently 

 two species of this genus. The one is entirely of a fine red colour, and was named Pasuioa, Tam. The other is 

 reddish above, white on the sides, and the ventral fins spotted with dusky : D. \^, A. Jj-, it was named Eewai." 



Habitat. — Red Sea, East coast of Aii-ica, seas of India, to the Malay Ai-chipelago. The figure is from a 

 specimen in the British Museum collection, 8-^ inches in length. 



