FAMILY, II— SQUAMIPIOTTES. 103 



First group— Clisetodontina. 

 No palatine or vomerine teeth : no concealed spine in front of the base of the dorsal fin in the adult. 



Genus, 1 — Chj)todon, Cuv. 



maldophorus and Microcaiitltus, Swains. ; Megraprotodon, Guich. ; Sarotlwdus, Gill. 



BrcmeJdostegals six. Body elevated and stwrigly compressed. Snout of moderate lenrjth, or short. Pre- 

 opercle entire, or slightly serrated, but destitute of any spine at the angle. Palate edentulous. Spiinous and soft 

 portions of the dorsal fin not separated by a notch, the rays of slightly or considerably larger number than the spines, 

 none of the latter elongated: anal with three or four spines. Scales of large, moderate, or small size. Lateral line 

 continuous, sometimes incomplete. Air-vessel may be constricted or loith horns. Intestines much convoluted. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



A. With four anal spines. 



1. Chcetodon plebeius. D. Tir-w-» ■*-• ts*t6^ L. 1. 50. A black ociilar band with white edges : a black 

 white-edo-ed ocellus at the base of the caudal fin. Andamans to the South Seas. 



B. With three anal spines. 



2. Chaitodon xantJwcephalus. D. • f, A. ^\, L. 1. 38. A small dark blotch above the orbit : body with 

 five indistinct vertical streaks. Ceylon and Zanzibar. 



3. ChfpJodon falcula. D. fl-ifj ^- 2-2 -2-31 L. r. 28. A narrow ocular band, two wide triangular bands 

 pass downwards from the dorsal fin, another exists over the free portion of the tail. Twelve or more narrow 

 black bands on the body. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



4^. Chadodon pictus. B. ^^, A. ^,^, h. r. ^. An ocular band descending to the chest. Several dark 

 lines descend downwards and forwards from the first half of the dorsal fin to the head, wliilst in the last half 

 of the body others go backwards and downwards. Dorsal and anal fins dark : caudal with a dark base and two 

 dark vertical bands. Red Sea, seas of India, to the Malay Archipelago. 



6. Chcetodon vagabundus. D. H:^, A. ^oh^^ L. r. f|. An ocular band descending to the interoperele. 

 Many dark bands pass downwards to the middle of the body when they go backwards. Dorsal and anal fins 

 margined with black : two vertical black bands on caudal. From the Red Sea throughout those of India to 

 Polynesia. 



6. CJuetodon Mertensii, D. -i-|, A. ■^, L. 1. 34. A narrow interrupted ocular band : anterior two-thirds of 

 body violet, with narrow vertical, angular, bands : last third of body, soft dorsal, and anal fins yellow : a vertical 

 band on caudal : a narrow dark intramarginal line to soft dorsal and anal fins. Red Sea, Seas of India, and 

 beyond. 



7. Clmtodon auriga. D. H-M. -A-- Yo'tt^ L. 1. 42. Fifth dorsal ray prolonged. An ocular band descends 

 to the interoperele. A dark ocellus on the middle dorsal rays. Red Sea, through those of India to Polynesia. 



8. Chcctodon Kleinii. D. -^A^, A. tf^xo. ^- ^- 33. Brownish, with a broad ocular band extending to a 

 black ventral fin : edges of soft do'rsal, caudal, and anal black. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



9. Glmtodon guUatissimus, D. ff , A. ry-rB- L. 1. 38. An ocular band descends to the interoperele : brown 

 spots on the body scales, and small ones on the soft dorsal and anal fins : caudal with a black vertical band. 



10. Chcctodon vittatus, D. j-^-W, A. ^, L. r. ff. Body with numerous fine dark lines passing backwards : 

 a dark band along the base of the dorsal fin, another along the centre of the soft dorsal : a dark band on the last 

 third of the caudal : ventrals white. From the Red Sea to Polynesia. 



11. Chidodon unimaculatus, D. -^i-l-j, A. t9'2-o. L. 1. 46. A narrow ocular band : a black blotch on the 

 side above the lateral-line beneath the last four dorsal spines. Ceylon to the Malay Archipelago. 



12. Chcetodon collaris, D. -^\y, A. so?^^, L. 1. 34. Each scale with a light centre : a whitish band from 

 in front of the dorsal fin to the" chest, another to the eye, and a third over the snout. Seas of India to the 

 Malay Archipelago. 



13. Chcetodon lunula, D. ^i-Ve, A. ts-2 o' L. 1. 40. A wide ocular band descends to the preopercle : a 

 second from the first dorsal spine joins it : a third goes to the base of the pectoral, and another over the free 



Tholichthys osseus, PI. XXVI, fig. 2 (twice life size.) 

 Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 687. 



T>. M, P. 15, V. 1/fl, A. TB^o. C. 17, L. 1. 41. 



Lengtli of head nearly 1/3, of caiulal 1/5, height of boily 1/2 of the total length. Eyes— diameter from 1/2 to 2/5 of the 

 length of head, 1/2 in diameter from the end of snout, and 1 apart. In the specimen figured the angle of the preo])ercIe is much enlarged, 

 reaching to almost below the origin of the pectoral fin : the shoulder scale and those over the shoulder girdle considerably dilated. 



Fins third dorsal spine the longest and strongest, the fin notched : ventrals rounded : caudal cut almost square. Scales— ctenoid. 



Lateral line — ceases opposite the end of the soft dorsal fin. ^ 



This is evidently the same species as the one I formerly described, I. c. but the development of the cranial bones differs. Pro- 

 bably in Holacanthi the preopercular spine is the remains of the elongated and dilated preopercular angle seen in this species. 



In the very young, as figured by Dr. Giinther, the developments mentioned above are greatly magnified, showing that atrophy 

 occurs as age advances. 



