SUPPLEMENT, 1888. 



781 



some small specimens of a remarkable pei-coid form at Madras that I termed Pnacan. 

 thichtJn/s Madmspatensis, but wbiob are the young of Serranus latifasciatus _ I have 

 figured below in outline the head and contiguous parts of the body three times the 

 natural size, from a specimen 16 inches long. 



In this instance we see a preoperculum with a strong serrated spine at its angle somewhat 

 as observed in the genus Priacanthus, the development of which, and the rate at which 

 it becomes atrophied with age being most probably factors m the amount of protuberance at 

 that spot in older fish. There is likewise a small spine on the sub-opercle, whde it is very 

 peculiar that the ventral spine is strongly serrated internally similar to a siluroid. 



This fi-ure is from a specimen sent by ilr. Thurston from Madras, and delineated the 

 natural sfze, 3 inches long, but in which the fifth dorsal spme is abnormally shortened, 

 giving somewhat the appearance of two spinous dorsal fins. The serrated spme at the 

 ano-le of the preopercle is now only represented by coarse denticnlations the ventral spme 

 is smooth, and the fish has assumed the form it subsequently retams. The colom-s are not 

 yet similar to' those of the adult, the bands along the body change as described under 

 Serranus morrhua and the black bands on the caudal fin are eventually represented by 

 more or less black spots (see Plate V, fig. 4). 

 Seekanus polleni. 



Epmephelus polleni, Bleeker, Fish. Reunion Versl. Kon. Akad. Wet. 2nd Rks. li, p. 33b, and 

 Poisson Madagascar et Reunion, p. 19, t. vii. 

 B. vii, D. xT?T^, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. 3/9, C. 17, L. 1. 115-120. 



Length of head 3i, of caudal fin 7, height of body 3f in the total lengtli^ Eyes- 

 diameter 6 in the length of the head, H diameters from the end of the snout. Preopercle 

 serrated, most coarsely so along its lower edge. The posterior edge of the maxilla reaches 

 to somewhat behind the hind edge of the orbit. Teeth-e^nmes somewhat large. Fms- 

 dorsal spines increasing in length to the fourth, the posterior ones four-fifths as high as the 

 rayed portion of the fin, which latter is rounded posteriorly Second anal spme some- 

 what the longest. Caudal fin slightly rounded. Sccdes-9 or 10 rows between the base of 

 the sixth dorsal spine and the lateral-line. Colonrs-closeXj approaching those of berranus 

 hoenaclc bein- .generally reddish brown, with 5 or 6 narrow blue lines on the head passmg 

 backwal-ds, 10 or 12 horizontal blue lines along the body, those m the upper third bemg 

 interrupted and contorted, some ending on the soft portion of the dorsal fin, while others 

 similarly end on the caudal and anal fins. A horizontal narrow blue band along the centre 

 of the dorsal fin, and a narrow blue edging to the soft portion 2 or 3 blue bands takmg a 

 semi-horizontal direction on the anal fin. Caudal externally edged with reddish brown. 



t> H ~ 



