252 proceedings; OF TirE NATIONAL MUSFAIM. vol. xxv. 



first one largest; soft dorsal rather long and low, similar to anal; ven- 

 tral fins each a strong spine attached to the pelvic bone; vertebra^ (in 

 Triacantkus) 9+10=19. Three genera and about 5 species; tropical 

 shore fishes, chiefly East Indian, one of them American. 



a. Trlacanthodimv: Teeth small, close-set, conical, not incisor-like; caudal peduncle 

 short; dorsal spines strong, not very unequal. 

 h. Teeth in two rows in each jaw, the upper jaw with about 14 teeth in the outer 



row, the lower with 22; inner series with about 2 teeth Tnacanthodef, 1. 



aa. Triaeanfhin.r: Teeth incisor-like, in two series in each jaw, those of the outer 

 row prolonged, about 10 in number, the inner series with 2 or 4; caudal 

 peduncle produced, slender; first dorsal with 3 or 4 small spines behind a very 

 large one - Triacanthus, 2. 



1. TRIACANTHODES Bleeker. 



Triacanthodes Bleeker, Act. Soc. Sci. Indo. Nederl., Ill, 1857, Japan, IV, p. 37 



{nnomaJns.) 



Body short, compressed, with short tail, covered with small spiny 

 scales; teeth small, conical, close set, in two .series, about 11 to 22, two 

 small teeth in the inner series. Lateral line inconspicuous. Dorsal 

 spines about 5, strong, not very unequal, rough on their basal halves. 

 Ventrals each a strong spine attached to the pelvic bone, besides two 

 slender soft rays. Soft dorsal of al)out 15 rays; anal of about 12. 



{triacanthufi: eiSog, resemldance.) 



I. TRIACANTHODES ANOMALUS (Schlegel). 

 BENI KAWAMT'KI (RED FILE FISH). 



Triacanthus anomalns Schlegel, Fauna Japonica Poiss. , 1846, p. 295, pi. cxxix, 

 fig. 3; Nagasaki.— Nystrom, Svensk. Vet. Ak., 1887, p. 47; Nagasaki. 



Triacanthodes anomalus Bleeker, Act. Soc. Sci. Indo. Nederl., Ill, 1857, Japan, 

 IV, p. 37; Nagasaki.— GtrNTHER, Cat. Fish., VIII, 1870, p. 208; Japan. 



Depth 2i; head little over 3 (1 in total); D. IV to VI, 11 to 16; 

 A. 12 to 13; V. I, 2. Snout 2i in head. Jaws with a single series of 

 from 18 to 20 small teeth, pointed, somewhat conical and curved. 

 Body compressed and roughened. Pectorals rounded, If in head. 

 First dorsal spine almost as long as the head. Dorsal and ventral 

 spines strong, rough on their basal halves. Ventral spines roughened 

 and as long as the first dorsal spine. Anal beginning a little behind 

 anus and its height equal to a fifth of the depth of the body. Second 

 dorsal larger than anal and its height 3 in the depth of the body. 

 Caudal rounded and equal to the snout with eye. Color reddish, 

 brighter above and whitish below. Length 3 to 4^ inches. (Schlegel, 

 Bleeker, Giinther.) 



This little fish, which reaches a length of 1 or 5 inches, is recorded 

 b}' Schlegel as taken only in May a])out the rocks at the mouth of the 



