82 ACANTHOPTERYGir. 



Anthlas diagramma, Blocli, t. 320 (var. Elochii). 



0-rammistes pictus, Bl. Sch. pp. 184, 190. 



Holocentrus radjahoa, Lacep. iv, pp. 3.3.J, 374. 



Jjidjatms pictu!!, Lacep. v, pp. 687, 688. 



JJiwjramma Blocliii, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 312 ; Giintlier, Catal. i, p. 329. 



.'' Dia.fjram.iiia pmcilojAenim, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 314 ; Temm. and Sclileg. Fauna Japon. Poiss. p. 61 ; 

 Giintlier, Catal. i, p. 329. 



Dia(/nimma pictwm, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 31-j ; Tern, and Sclileg. Fauna Japon. p. 02 ; Richardson, Ich. 

 China, p. 227; Giiuthcr, Catal. i, p. 327. 



Diai/niinma baUeittuiii, (Kulil. and v. Hass.) Cuv. and Val. v, p. 316. 



Plectorhi/nchus Bluehii,, Cantor, Catal. p. 77. 



PlectorhijncJms halteatus, Cantor, Catal. p. 78. 



Plectorhynchus pnmctatus, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. Perc. xxli, fig. 1, Cerani, p. 187, and Revis. Plector. p. 298. 



B. vi, D. ^Ln,^ p. 17, V. 1/5, A. i L. r. }%%, L. tr. 1-5/26. 



Length of head 2/9, of caudal 2/13, height of body 4/15 of the total length. Ei/es — diameter 2/7 (in the 

 young) to 2/9 of the length of head, Ij to 2 diameters from the end of snout, and nearly 1 apart. Tlie maxilla 

 reaches to iielow the front edge of the orbit. Tedh — generic. Fins — dorsal spines of moderate strength, the 

 first short, the third usually the highest and equalling about one half the depth of the bodj", the second and 

 fom-th spines are of nearly the same height but variations are constantly found, the last dorsal spine is about 

 one fourth of the height of the body, and the rays a little higher than the anterior or most elevated portion of 

 the spines. Pectoral as long as the head excluding the snout : the second and third anal spines of about the 

 .same length and equal to about half the length of the head or the height of the sixth dorsal spine : caudal cut 

 neai'ly square, or with rounded angles. Colours — This fish having been divided into several species due to 

 variations in colour, 1 propose describing such in accordance with what appears to me to be that most readily 

 explained. IJiaijrainma Blockii (variety) orange yellow or white, with chestnut brown or black longitudinal 

 bands, the upper three of which commence between the eye and the base of the first dorsal spine, the sujierior 

 narrow runs along the base of the spinous dorsal and joins the one on the doi'sal fin : the second and third are 

 broader and coalesce above the middle of the pectoral fin, becoming lost below the base of the soft dorsal and 

 on the upper edge of the free portion of the tail : the fourth and fifth proceed from the snout, through the eye, 

 and go direct to the centre of the base of the caudal, where they join and are continued to the end of the tin 

 ill a wedge-shaped form : below these bands are one or two more, the upper of which goes to the lower edge of 

 the free portion of the tail. Dorsal fin with a narrow black margin, a broad dark band runs from the upper 

 two-thii-ds of its second spine backwards and do-i\Tiwards to the base of the fin, leaving the lower third of the 

 second and third spines uncovered, this band is sometimes interrupted (as shown by Bloch), causing a black 

 spot to exist between its third and fourth spines ; if continuous (as in PI. sxi, fig. 3), it coalesces with the 

 upper body band, and is continued in a wedge-shaped form to the posterior-superior angle of the soft dorsal 

 tin. Caudal with a central wedge-shaped dark band, and a cross-band over its upper and lower angles, thiese 

 are frequently broken up into spots : the lower half of the anal and the end of the ventral black.* 



A very interesting form of colouring exists in a specimen with D. -5% from Madras, presented by Dr. 

 Jerdon to the British Museum, it is the intermediate form of ornamental colouring between D. Blocliii and 

 D. pictnm, the two bands which pass backwards from the eye to the caudal tin become merged into one below 

 the middle of the soft dorsal. 



Diaijmmma pidmn has the same ground colour as D. Blocliii with fewer but wider longitudinal bands : 

 the first, second, and third bands coalesce much sooner, the upper two below the middle or end of the 

 spinous dorsal, and the second and third on the nape : whilst the two bands which pass backwards from 

 the eye to the caudal tin, and which coalesce in Dr. Jerdou's specimen below the middle of the soft dorsal, in 

 the typical pictuia forai a single broad one by the amalgamation of them in their whole length from the eye to 

 the tail. The tins are coloured as described for D. Blocliii, in short the immature appear to be generally 

 coloured as in the typical D. pictuiit. 



Bleeker's figure of Plectorhynclim pimctatus is this species, the ornamental colouring being increased 

 by the addition of some extra intermediate bands which are broken up into spots : the ventral and anal are 

 likewise darker, due to the existence of additional colour. 



In a bad skin in the British Museum, marked D. Blocliii with D. J !i, all the longitudinal bands are 

 liroken up into a series of elongated spots or blotches. 



Ha\-ing remarked how the wide bands in the tj-jiical B. pictum are liable to be varied by the existence 

 of more numerous but narrower ones in D. Blocliii it remains to be observed that they may be further 

 moditied by being broken up into rows of oblong blotches or spots ; or when narrow bands exist they may be 

 alternately complete or interrupted as in D. pwcilopiterum. 



* Col. riayfair, Fish. Zanz. p. 28. appareiitly on the .authority of a single skin, asserts "the colour of the adult is dark 

 grey, with darker longitudinal lines and series of spots ; tins blackish, except pectorals, which are grey." But as specimens with 

 the colouring of the typical Blochii exist as large as tlie grey lineated one, I think it would be preferable to consider such as having 

 a peculiar form of colouring. However, a doubt is raised as to whether Diagramma Blochii, Cuv. and Val.. is Anthias diarircimma. 

 Bloch, .is he remarks " the younger specimen acrees perlectly with the AvtJiias diagramma of Bloch, although it is doubtful whether it 

 is the same as the D. Blochii of Cmier and Valenciennes, which is only known from a figure taken at Triucomalee." 



