FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS AND ADJACENT WATERS 185 

 SiMOCANTHARUS, new subgenus ' 



Type. — Cantharus aeneus Gilchrist and Thompson. 

 Diagnosis. — Snout short, blunt, pug-nosed. Preopercle flange scaly. 

 Scales small. 



SPONDYLIOSOMA AENEA (Gilchrist and Thompson) 



Cantharus aeneus Gilchrist and Thompson, Ann. South Afric. Mus., vol. 6, 



p. 166, 1908-1911 (type locality: Natal); Ann. Durban Mus., vol. 1, pt. 4, 



p. 357, 1917. 

 Caranthus aeneus Barnard, Ann. South Afric. Mus., vol. 21, pt. 2, p. 724, 1927 



(Natal coast, False Bay). 

 Cantharus natalensis Gilchrist and Thompson, Ann. South Afric. Mus., vol. 6, 



p. 167, 1908-1911 (type locaUty: Natal). 

 Cantharus shnus Gilchrist and Thompson, Ann. South Afric. Mus., vol. 6, 



p. 231, 1908-1911 (type locality: Durban). 



Depth 2% to 2K; head 3K to 3%, profile gently convex, rather 

 prominent bulge in front of eyes, below which snout rather concave. 

 Eye 3K to 4^ in head, 1 to 1}^ in snout, 1 to 2K in preorbital depth, 

 Iji to 1}^ in interorbital; teeth moderate, outer row distinctly larger 

 than inner rows; preorbital with lower edge straight or slightly 

 concave, not notched, not entirely concealing maxillary. Lower gill 

 rakers 15 on first arch. 



Scales 83 to 88 in lateral line; 10 above, 20 to 22 below, 10 rows on 

 cheek with preopercle flange also scaly; predorsal scales extend 

 forward to front eye edge. Tubes in lateral line bifurcate, especially 

 front ones. 



D. XI, 11, spines moderately stout, fourth or fourth and fifth 

 longest, about % or sometimes not much over K head length, first ray 

 not longer than last spine; A. Ill, 10. 



Grayish or brassy brown, dark above, silvery below, with numerous 

 pale longitudinal streaks in preserved examples. Dorsal, anal, and 

 ventral blackish or violaceous. Reaches 430 mm. (Barnard.) 



Natal coast. 



Genus GYMNOCROTAPHUS Gunther 



Gymnocrotaphus Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vol. 1, p. 432, 1859. (Type, 

 Gymnocrotaphus curvidens Gijnther, monotypic.) 



Series of broad lanceolate incisors, behind which band of smaller or 

 cardiform teeth. No molars. Hind nostril narrow slit. Gill 

 rakers short, especially with age. Branchiostegals 6. Pyloric 

 coeca 3. Scales of moderate size. Cheeks naked. Opercle scaly. 

 Soft dorsal and anal with basal scaly sheaths. Vertical fins partly 

 covered with small scales. Fins low. Dorsal spines 10. Anal 

 spines 3. Pectoral little longer than head. 



South Africa. 



' From o-iMoj, pug-nosed + Cantharus. 



