XOTES ON SOISIE JAPANESE FISHES. 7 



almost flat. Snout moderate, depressed, the tip broadly rounded 

 when viewed from above, rather blunt in profile. Cleft of mouth 

 crescent-shaped ; anterior tip of upper lip a little before eye ; 

 corner of mouth beneath posterior rim of eye. Teeth numerous, 

 rather small, tricuspid, equal in size in both jaws. Labial groove 

 runs for some distance on both lips starting from near the angle 

 of mouth ; that on lower lip is three-eighths length of eye ; that 

 on upper lip is one-third the length of that on the lower lip. 

 Nostrils large, separate, nearer eye than tip of snout, not confluent 

 with mouth ; least internarial distance one half diameter of eye ; 

 anterior nasal valve large, occupying inner two-thirds of nostril ; 

 overlapped by it is another valve on the posterior border of 

 nostril, about three-fourths the anterior one in the length of the 

 longest axis. Spiracle moderate, at a distance almost equal to 

 spiracle length behind eye. Gill openings rather small, the 

 posterior ones a little less widely separated than the anterior ; 

 last two gill openings above pectoral. Vent a little nearer origin 

 of lower lobe of caudal than tip of snout, but slightly nearer the 

 latter than tip of caudal fin. Pectoral rather small, length of 

 its outer margin a little more than half the interspace between 

 pectoral and ventral, but its inner margin slightly less than one- 

 third the interspace between pectoral and ventral, the posterior 

 margin truncate. Dorsals rather small, similar in form ; first dorsal 

 much larger than second, its origin behind vent, its base nearer 

 base of ventral than anal ; origin of second dorsal before poste- 

 rior end of base of anal, posterior end of its base behind the 

 latter. Base of anal almost equal to that of first dorsal ; size of 

 anal somewhat smaller than the latter fin. Caudal not lunate ; a 

 small notch between lower portion of upper lobe and lower lobe ; 

 length of lower lobe two-thirds of the upper. 



