2 ZOOLOGY OF THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. SAMARANG. 



Indeed it possesses so many of the characters ascribed to dracana in the Histoire des Poissons, 

 that we should have referred it to that species were it not that the preorbitar and preopercular 

 spines of the latter are said to be very large, while in our fish they are rather shorter than is 

 usual in the genus. The anterior spinule of the preorbitar is, however, larger than common, 

 being half as long as the chief spine and, like it, slightly curved and directed backwards. 

 The species differs from A. belengeri in the more posterior origin of the dorsal, and in having 

 only two bony points or ridges on the operculum. A. rubrijnnnis of the Fauna Japonica has 

 no scales above the lateral line. 



The body is highest about the fifth and sixth dorsal spines, the height there being equal 

 to one fourth of the total length, and the thickness to about half the height. The head is 

 considerably depressed, the profile rising at an angle of only twenty-five degrees to the 

 beginning of the dorsal. When the mouth is closed the under jaw forms the extremity of 

 the head, and the cleft of the mouth descends almost vertically. There is a small knob 

 beneath the symphysis of the mandible. The mandible can be depressed to the horizontal 

 line, the upper jaw remaining nearly vertical. The length of the head is contained thrice 

 and one third in the total length. When viewed in front, the interorbital space is seen to be' 

 traversed by two smooth ridges which are approximated to the mesial line ; the edges of the 

 orbits themselves are also prominent. The breadth of this space is less than the diameter of 

 the orbit. The principal preorbitar spine reaches to the anterior third of the orbit. The 

 preopercular spine, which is of the same size, is straight, and there are three obtuse corners 

 beneath it. The two opercular ridges are visible, but their points are scarcely pungent. 

 The supra-scapular, however, has an acute point at the upper corner of the gill opening. 

 The scales of the body are very small and remote from each other, are much sunk in the 

 skin, and, being dark, look like little pits rather than scales on a cursory view. 



The dorsal commences over the upper limb of the preoperculum. Its first three spines 

 are a little stouter than the rest, are approximated to each other at the base and a little 

 removed from the following one, to which the third one is connected by membrane. The 

 second spine is a little taller than the first or third ; the following ones are somewhat shorter 

 and nearly all of one height, except the last, which, though more slender than the second one, 

 is even taller. The anterior soft rays rather overtop the tallest of the spines : the last one 

 is short and is bound to the back its whole length by membrane, which does not reach to 

 the base of the caudal. The anal rays are fuUy taller than the soft dorsal ones ; its spines, 

 which are graduated, are shorter. 



The teeth are in close-shaven, villiform bands on the jaws, prominent chevron of the 

 vomer, and palatine bones. On the latter they form an elliptical patch. 



The general colour of the specimen, which has been long in spirits, is brownish grey, 

 the fins seem darker, and there are many obscure freckliugs on the dorsal fin and back. 

 Length, 2| inches. This specimen had a surmullet in his oesophagus. 



Hab. Sea of Japan. 



