84 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Lobotes Surinamensis, Plato XXI, fig. 5. 



Holocentrus Surinamenfis, Blocli, t. '24;-] ; Bl. Selm. p. 31 G. 



Lohotes Surinamensis, Cuv. and Val. v, 319 ; Day, Fishes of ilalabar, p. '2 i. 



Lobotes erate, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 322 ; Bleeker, Scia;n. p. 20, and Atl. Icli. Perc. t. xxiii, fig. 4 ; Cantor, 

 Catal. p. 80. 



Lohotes Farhharii et somHolentiis, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 324. 



Lohotes audonim, Giinther, Catal. i, p. 338. 



Parrandee, Mai. : Musalli, Tarn. : Ghota heklcut, Ooriah. 



B. vi, D. yJ.H, p. 15-17, V. 1/.5, A. tt»„, C. 17, L. r. ||>t-|, L. tr. 9-11/22, Cffic. pyl. 4 (3), 

 Vert. 1.3/11. 



Leugtli of head from 3i to 3f , of caudal 1/G, heiglit of body 21 to 1/3 in the total length. Eyes— 

 diameter 1/(3 to 1/7 of the length of head, 1 diameter from the end of snout, and 1^ to 2 apart. A concavity in 

 the dorsal profile over the eyes. The maxilla reaches to below the anterior third of the orbit. Vertical limb of 

 preopercle denticulated, with spinate teeth at its rounded and slightly produced angle : horizontal limb entire. 

 Shoulder-bone and one in axilla denticulated. Teeth — fine. Fins — dorsal spines strong, the fourth to the seventh 

 of about the same height and the longest equal to half the length of the head ; soft portion of the fin higher than 

 the spinous. Pectoral rounded, half as long as the head : thii-d anal spine longer than the second, and equal to 1/4 

 or 2/9 of height of body : soft portions of dorsal and anal rather angular : caudal rounded. Air-vessel— \argL; 

 thin, and lanceolate in shape. Colours — brassy-brown blotched with darker, and having the extremity of tlic 

 caudal and the pectoral of a dirty yellowish-white : the other fins are of a slate coloiu-. 



This fish varies considerably witli age ; and Dr. Giinther, under the designation of ioioies auctorvm, gives 

 as its range, " Atlantic coasts of America from New York to the coast of Surinam ; Carribean sea ; Ceylon, 

 Bay of Bengal, Sunda, Jlolucca, and Chinese seas." — Catal. i, p. 338. 



LLihitat.—Eiisit coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond, attaimng at least 2| 

 feet in length. It is excellent as food. 



Genus, 21 — Scolopsis, Cuv. and Val. 



Scolopmles, Cuv. 



BrcmicJiiostegals five : pseudohranchiai. Body ohlonrj. Eyes of moderate or large size. Mouth muderately 

 protractile : jaws of nearly equal length anteriorly : cleft of mouth horizontal. Infraorbital arch with a spine directed 

 haekwards : preopercle as a rule serrated, and often the suborbital ring : opercle ivith a weak spine. A single dorsal 

 fin viith ten spines : anal with three : caudal emarginate or forked. Scales ctenoid. Air-vessel luithout any 

 constriction, simple. Pyloric appjeiidages few. 



Geographical distribution. — From the Red Sea, and East coast of Africa, through the seas of India to the 

 Malay Archipelago and beyond. The largest numbers and greatest varieties of species in this Genus are taken 

 off the coasts of Sind and Bombay, also at the Andamans and Nicobars. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Scolopsis bimaculatus, D. \'>, A. a, L. 1. 48, L. tr. 4^/14. Greyish, a broad white opercular band : two 

 lilack blotches on the lateral-line, the first from the eleventh to the twenty-second scale : the second behind the 

 end of the dorsal fin. Red Sea, seas of India to China. 



2. Scolopsis phieops, D. \", A. f, L. 1. 4G-48, L. tr. 5/16. A light band along the base of the dorsal fin : 

 a blue band from the eye to the upper jaw ; a second to the axilla where it ends in a blue spot. East coast of 

 Africa, and seas of India. 



3. Scolopsis bilineatus, D. y, A. f, L. 1. 46, L. tr. 4/14. A white band from snout to base of dorsal 

 spines : a second from above the orbit to a little way below the last dorsal spine : a third from the upper edge of 

 the eye to the lateral-line. A -n-ide yellow, black-edged band from the mouth to the soft dorsal. A large yellow 

 blotch below the last half of the soft dorsal, which latter is anteriorly edged with black : anal with its front half 

 black. Andamans and Malay Archipelago. 



4. Scolopisis ghanam, t). u, A. f, L. 1. 46, L. tr. 4/14. A light band from the snout to the base of the 

 dorsal spines : a second from above the eye to the end of the dorsal fin : a third from the eye to the shoulder 

 where it divides into two and is continued backwards : a black spot in the axilla. Red Sea and Andamans. 



6. Scoloiisis monogramvia, D. V°, A. f, L. 1. 44, L. tr. 5/14. A deep black band fi'om the eye to above the 

 base of the caudal fin. Andamans to the Malay Archipelago. 



6. Scolopsis cancellatus, D. V", A. f, L. 1. 44, L. tr. 3^/14. A white streak from snout to first dorsal 

 spine : a second from over orbit to the end of the base of the dorsal : a third from the upper third of the eye to 

 opposite the end of the pectoral : a fourth from the middle of the eye to the upper tliird of the caudal. Several 

 irregular and wide vertical body bands. A black spot between fii'st »nd thu-d dorsal spines. Andamans to the 

 ilalay Archipelago and beyond. 



7. Scnlopsis Vosmeri, D. V", A. f, L. 1. 42-44, L. tr. 3|-4/14. Serrations on preopercle directed backwards 

 in the immature, outwards in the adult. A liglit band over'the operclcs, and a longitudinal light line along the 

 body. Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



8. Scolopsis Icucotcenia, D. V', A. f, L. 1. 39, L. tr. 3^/13. A light band edged with dark above and below, 

 going from the eye to the upper half of the caudal fin : usually a dark spot on the dorsal fin. Bombay to the 

 Malay Archipelago. 



