FAMILY, I— PERCID^. 89 



Fins — dorsal spines strong, increasing- in length to tlie fourth which equals half the length of the head : pectoral 

 equals the length of the head without the snout : the ventral nearly reaches the anal : second anal spine much 

 the strongest and consideralily the longest, equalling the length of the head behind the middle of the eye. 

 Colours — a broad yellowish-white streak from above the eye to the upper edge of the free portion of the tail, 

 it is margined both alaove and below with a dark purple stripe : above it the body is reddish-brown, below it 

 yellowish : a dark purplish vertical baud extends down the opercle. Fins reddish, the dorsal with a fine black 

 upper edge and a dark band along the centre of its spinous portion. 



In the typical S. leucoUeaia, no black mark exists on the dorsal fin, and the second anal spine is longer 

 and stronger than the third. 



In S. leucotiBiiioides a black blotch exists between the first and fourth dorsal spines, and the second and 

 third anal spines are of about equal length and strength. 



In the specimen figui-ed, a dark band passes along the spinous dorsal and the anal spines are as in 

 8. leucoUenia. 



Hahitat. — Bombay to the Malay Archipelago. 



My single specimen having its tail injured must be the excuse for the way in wluch I have given the 

 proportions, but Bleeker observes, length of head 1/4, height of body 2/7 to 1/4 of the total length. 



9. Scolopsis ciliatus, Plate XXIII, fig. 5. 



Holoeentrus ciliatus, Lacep. iv, pp. 33.3, 371. 



Scolopsides lycogenis, Cuv. and Val. v,* p. 346, pi. 127 ; Bleeker, Sciseu. p. 27. 



Scolo2'>sis ciliatus, Gunthei-, Catal. i, p. 355. 



B. V, D. V", P- 17, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 17, L. 1. 44, L. tr. 3|-4/15, Ckc. pyl. 5, Vert. 10/14. 



Length of head 1/4 to 4|, of caudal nearly 1/5, height of body 3^ to 3| in the total length. Eyes — 

 diameter 2/5 to 3/8 of length of head, 2/3 of a diameter from end of snout, and 1 apart. A prominent ridge 

 having a serrated edge exists on the maxilla, and that bone extends to below the front margin of the orbit. 

 Preorbital with a strong spine directed backwards, two smaller ones on the plate below it and a few serrations 

 beneath. Vertical edge of preopercle serrated, most strongly so at its angle which is not produced. A con- 

 spicuous spine on the opercle : shoulder-bone serrated. Teeth — villiform. Fins — dorsal spines slender, increasing 

 in length to the fifth, the height of which nearly equals half the length of the head : anal spines not strong, the 

 third weaker but longer than the second, and nearly equalling the longest in the dorsal fin : caudal forked. 

 Colours — greenish-olive above, becoming lighter on the abdomen : a silvery white band extends between the 

 lateral-line and the back, from near tlie head to opposite the commencement of the soft dorsal : the position of 

 this white line Bleeker observes is liable to change with age : the scales below the lateral-line have a golden spot. 

 Fins reddish. 



Hahitat. — Andamans, Malay Archipelago, &.c. The specimen figured is 7 inches in length and from tho 

 Andaman islands. 



Genus, 22 — Dentex, Cuv. 



Gymnocranius, pt. Klunz. : Paradentex, pt. Blkr. : Synagris, (Klein) Bleeker. 



BrancM'Ostecjals six or seven : pseudobrancMce. Body oblong, rather elongate, and a little elevated. Eyes of 

 viedium or rather large size. Mouth moderately protractile, its cleft more or less horizontal : jaws of about equal 

 length. Preopercle entire or feebly serrated : op/ercle without any or with a not very pronvinent spine : the distance 

 between the eye and the angle of the mouth considerable. Generally strong canines from 4 to 6 Mt number in bothjaips, 

 almost invariably present in the upper : a conical outer lateral roiu in either jatv : vomer, palate, and tongue edentu- 

 lous. One scaleless dorsal fin having from 10 to 13 spines, anal with three and nine to eleven rays : the spines 

 generally loeah, and being more or less providedj tvith a scaly groove: caudal forked. Scales ctenoid, of moderate size, 

 more than three rows between the eye and the angle of the preopercle, none on the front of the snout, jaws, or preorbital. 

 Air-vessel not constricted but notched posteriorly. Pyloric appendages few. 



This Genus has been subdivided from Synagris, mostly owing to the existence of upwards of three rows 

 of scales across the preopercle. Even thus restricted it has been further subdivided and Q-ymnoaranius, Klunz. ^ 

 Paradentex, Bleeker, consists of those species in which the scales do not extend forward on the upper surface of 

 the head so far as the eye : none on the outer ILmb of the preopercle : the upper jaw is rather more protractile, 

 and the canines are weaker. 



Geographical distribution. — The fishes of this Genus have a wide range, being found in the Mediterranean, 

 Atlantic, Red Sea, and through those of India to the Malay Archipelago, and beyond. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Dentex rivulata, D. -i-g, A. ^. Canines in both jaws. Sinuous blue lines on the sides of the head. 

 Red Sea, Ceylon. 



* lA/cogenis argyrosoma, Kuhl. and v, Hass. Mss. apud Cuv. nui Val. 



