74 ACANTHOPTERTGII. 



Coins rjudgutia, Ham. Bucli. p. 04, 370. 



Fristifoma haukaii, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 2-i4 ; Riippell, N. W. Fisclie, p. 123. 

 Pristipmim Commersonii, Cantor, Catal. p. 72. 



Pristipoma hasta, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 247 ; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 289 ; Day, Fislies of ilalabar, p. 20 ; 

 Khmzin. Verb. z. b. Ges. Wien. 1870, p. 733; Bleeker, Kevis. Pristip. 1873, p. 308. 

 Pristi/poma chrysohallon, (K. and v. H.) Cuv. and Val. v, p. 248. 

 Mesuprion gut(jidia, (Cuv. and Val.) Blyth, Proc. A. S. of Bengal, 1860, p. 111. 

 Pohtus niildus, Blytli, Proc. A. S. of Beng. 18.58, p. 283, & 1800, p. 111. 

 Coroua and Coralce, Tam. : Cuumpoo, Bel. 



B. vii, D. T-i.\j, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. y=^, G. 17, L. 1. 45-50, L. tr. 7/10, Ctec. pyl. 6-7. 



Length of head 1/3 to 2/7, of caudal 1/5 to 1/6, height of body 1/3 to 3/10 of the total length. Hges— 

 diameter from 1/3 to 1/5 of length of head, from 2/3 to IJ diameters from end of snout and also apart. The 

 maxilla reaches to beneath the anterior edge or even first third of the orbit. Preopercle emarginate posteriorly, 

 its angle rounded and produced, sen-ated in its whole extent, very coarsely so at its angle, and most distinctly 

 so in the immature. Opercle with two rounded points. Shoulcler bone serrated. Teeth — villiform, outer row 

 somewhat the largest. Fins — dorsal spines strong, the third or fourth the longest and equal to 1/2 the height 

 of the body, from it they decrease to the 11th which equals 2/3 the height of the second, whilst the 12th is 

 almost 1/3 longer. Pectoral nearly as long as the head : ventral reaches 2/3 of the way to the anal. Second anal 

 spine longest and strongest, equalling 1/2 of the height of the body and longitudinally fluted, the 3rd tliimierand 

 1/4 shorter. Caudal emarginate. Colours — four or five interrupted Lines of grey along the sides, three or four 

 being above the lateral-line : sometimes they coalesce and form bands. Two or three rows of spots along the 

 dorsal fin, and in the adult a single row of dull blotches at the base of the fin. 



Habitat. — Red Sea, East coast of Africa, seas of India, Malay Archipelago to North Australia, attaining 

 1 \ feet or more in length. 



The specimen from which fig. 3 is taken is 7 inches long, whilst fig. 4 of one of the young is twice the 

 natural size, it shows how with age the length of the last dorsal spines comj^aratively decrease to the size of the 

 fish. 



5. Pristipoma argenteum, Plate VIII, fig. 3.* 



Scicena argentea, ror.sk. p. 51. 



/" AiitMas lineatus, Bl. t. 320, f. 1. 



7 Lahrim Commersonii, Lacep. iii, pp. 431, 477, t. xxiii, fig. 1 : Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 493. , 



I'Lutjanus mdcrostoma, Lacep. iv, pp. 181, 210, and iii, t. xxxiv, f. 2. 



? Pristipoma Commersonii, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 252. 



Pomadasis arg&titeus, Lacep. iv, p. 516. 



Pristipoma argenteum, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 249; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 291. 



B. vii, D. if, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. A C. 17, L. 1. 50, L. tr. 5/13. 



Length of head 2/7, of caudal 2/13, height of body 3/10 of the total length. £'(/e.?— diameter 3^ in tlie 

 length of head, 1 diameter from end of snont, and 2/3 of a diameter apart. The maxilla reaches to below the 

 front edge of the eye. Preopercle serrated along its Tertical limb and angle. Shoulder bone serrated, the one in 

 the axilla entii'e. A deep gi-oove under the symphysis of the lower jaw, and two small open pores anterior to it. 

 Teeth — villiform, with the external row enlarged, most distinctly so in the upper jaw. Fins — dorsal spines 

 of moderate strength, each alternate one thicker on one side, first short, second nearly twice its height but only 

 half of the third wliich equals 3/7 of the height of the body, the fourth is nearly as high and the rest gradually 

 decrease to the eleventh which equals the height of the second, the twelfth is a very little longer but 

 more than 1/2 the height of the rays. Pectoral as long as the head : ventral almost reaches the anal. First 

 anal spine short, the second moderately strong, having a raised keel along its anterior surface, and being nearly 

 1/2 as high as the body : third spine much weaker, and a little more than 1/3 shorter. Lateral-line — tubes 

 expand posteriorly into a wedge-shape. Free portion of tail about as long as high. Colours — silvery, covered 

 with black spots in the upper two-thirds of the body foi-ming sinuous lines : a dark spot on the opercle. A row 

 of basal spots along the dorsal fin, two more above it in the spinous portion, and a dark line along the soft tin. 



This species has a less deeply cleft dorsal fin than is seen in P. hasta (except in the very young) ; irre- 

 spective of which it also diflers from it or P. nageb, in its more obtuse snout, &c. 



Habitat. — Red Sea and seas of India. 



6. Pristipoma maculatum, Plate XIX, fig. 5. 



Anthias maeulatus, Bloch, t. 326, f. 2 ; Bl. Sclm. p. 300. 



I/iitjanus maeulatus, Lacep. iv, p. 233. 



Perca caripe, Russell, Fishes Vizag, ii, p. 18, pi. 124. 



Pristipoma caripu, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 201 ; Riipp. N. W. Fische, p. 124; Cantor, Catal. p. 75; Bleeker, 

 Scisen. p. 21. 



Pristipoma maculatum, Gunther, Catal. i, p. 293 ; Day, Fishes of Malabar, p. 21 ; Kner, Novara Fische, 

 p. 52; Klunzinger, Verb. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1870, p. 735; Bleeker, Rev. Pristip. 1873, p. 306. 



* Marked rrisUx>oina Commersonii, on the plate. 



