No.ii!87. JAPANESE TRIGGER- FISHES— JORDAN AND FOWLER. 265 



specimens is the .second dorsal prolonged into a liUuuent, 2 of them 

 being- from Misaki, the other from Hakata. 



This tish is very common in shallow sandy bays in southern Japan. 

 In color and form it approaches very closely to the Atlantic species, 

 Steplianolepls hkpidm^ which Dr. Giinther considers a " variety " of 

 the same species. Steindachner claims that the Japanese species, 

 Monacanthxis cirrhifei\ is distinct from the East Indian, Monacantlais 

 setifer Bennett. The upper line of the head (in JSL eirrldfer) is steeper, 

 and the snout less projecting, and the dorsal spine shorter than in M. 

 setifer. Our many specimens are from Tokyo, Misaki, Totomi Bay, 

 Onomichi, Wakanoura, Kobe, Tsuruga, Hakata, and Nagasaki. 



The species has many names in Japan, the commonest, Kawahagi 

 and Kawamuki (wronglv spelled Komuki b}^ Bleeker), meaning a tish 

 which must have its skin peeled or scraped off before eating. Most of 

 these names are also loosely applied to other Monacantlddix ., Balhtld»^ 

 and Aeanthuridse. The present one is called Mahagi, the true skin- 

 sci'aper. 



{cirrJu'ft'i\ bearing fringes of hair.) 



II. STEPHANOLEPIS JAPONICUS (Tilesius). 

 YOSOGI. 



ilonacantlius japonicus^ Tilesius, Mt5m. Soc. Moscou, II, 1801, pi. xiii; Japan 



(D. I. 24, A. 24). 

 MouaeanOins iracliyderma Bleeker, Act. Soc. Sci. Indo-Neerl., VIII, 1860; Japan, 



VI, p. 70; Nagasaki.— GtJNTHER, Cat. Fish., VIII, 1870, p. 229. 



Head, 2 J. to 2i; depth, 1|; D. I. 27 and 28; A. 28. Body oblong, 

 deep, compressed, covered with rather large asperities, so that it is 

 ver}^ rough to the touch. Head deeper than long, the upper profile 

 nearl}" straight or very little concave; snout slightly produced; teeth 

 strong, emarginate; lips rather thin, fleshy, and smooth; eye high in 

 head, 2| in snout and 3i in head; interorbital space strongly convex. 

 Gill opening below the posterior part of eye, a little longer than the 

 space between the lower margin of the eye and its own upper extrem- 

 ity, with a narrow fleshy flap; spinous dorsal over posterior part of 

 eye and midway between tip of snout and origin of soft dorsal; dorsal 

 s])ine rather rough, and small antrorse spines in a single series laterally 

 and posteriorly; origin of soft dorsal over that of anal, both of about 



' We are indebted to Mr. Garnian for the following copy of Tilesius's account of 

 Batistes japonicus: 



"Balistesjap., totus scaber, radio dorsal i hispido postice aculeis recurvatis serrate, 

 pinnis ventralis in unicani coalitis, hispidis coriaceis nionacanthis, oculis inaximis 

 argenteo viridiscentibus, membrana nictitante tectis, apertura branchial i simplici, 

 maxilla superiore prominente pinna caudali ad latera inermi." 



P. 10, V. xV, A. 24, C. 20, B.r^j. The figure shows a small ventral fiap. Ventral 

 spine apparently immovable. Sides with cloudings and streaks. Body deep, two- 

 fifths or more ol total length. 



