NO. 1287. JAPAISBSE TRIGGER-FISHES— JORDAN AND FOWLER. 263 



and very slightl}^ emarginate; jaws subequal; interorbital space very 

 high and rounded; gill opening below eye oblique, its lower end in 

 advance of the base of the pectoral and with a narrow fleshy flap. 

 Spinous dorsal over the eye and posterior, rough, moderately thick, 

 and with a series of large antrorse spines on each side; its origin 

 nearer the tip of the snout than the origin of the soft dorsal; back 

 with a triangular elevation, the apex the origin of the soft dorsal, and 

 the origin of the anal falls a little l)ehind this and below; dorsal and 

 anal with their middle rays elevated; caudal deep, the middle rays 

 long and the edge rounded; pectoral short and bluntly rounded, and 

 equal to space between the lower margin of the eye and the lower 

 edge of gill opening; ventral spine rough, a small spine on each side 

 at base, movable, and a little longer than the eyes; abdomen behind 

 ventral spine, between it and anus, developed into a long flap extend- 

 ing out from the body, beyond the ventral spine as far as the anal 

 rays do themselves, and supported by very numerous, long, slender, 

 cartilaginous stays resembling fin rays. Lower ventral region ver}^ 

 roughly striated toward the ventral fin on each side; caudal peduncle 

 very rough, the tubercles enlarged and less numerous posteriorly, 

 where there are two series of large spines curved outward and for- 

 ward with 3 in each series. 



Color of the body brown; 4 dark bars across the dorsal spine; soft 

 dorsal with several narrow, wavy, longitudinal, blackish bars, the 

 marginal portion with many small round light spots; anal with series 

 of narrow, wavy, longitudinal, blackish liars, forming a network on 

 the outer portion of the fin; caudal with many narrow blackish vertical 

 bars over 3 dark bars, the outermost the darkest; pectoral plain; sides 

 at the ventral region and at the base of the a entral fin blackish, the 

 flap itself marked with narrow, wavy, blackish, netted bars. Total 

 length lOj^r inches. Our description is from a specimen obtained for 

 us at Hongkong by Capt. William Finch, of the steamer GaeUc. 



This species, very conmion on the coast of China from north China 

 to Singapore, occurs in the Riukiu Islands and perhaps also in .Japan. 

 It is well figured in Bleeker's Atlas. 



8. STEPHANOLEPIS Gill. 

 Stephanolepis GiLh, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1861, p. 78 {f<etife7'). 



This genus, which includes the larger number of species of Mona- 

 canthidfe, differs from Monacantlms in the little extension of the 

 ventral flap, which does not form a dewlap and extends little beyond 

 the ventral spine even in the adult. The surface of the flap is rough, 

 with modified scales, but internal rays do not appear without dissec- 

 tion. Caudal peduncle usually without spines. The species are found 

 in the warmer waters of l)oth Asia and America. 



{GTf:(})avog^ crown; Af;r/s', scale.) 



