FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND ADJACENf SEAS 195 



valve rather narrowed triangular flap; interorbital 1% to 1% in 

 head, broad, convex. Gill openings narrow, about equally spaced, 

 last deepest and above pectoral. 



Scales small, mostly as smooth tubercles (young). 



First dorsal origin midway between hind basal edge of pectorals 

 and ventral origins, length l^/g to ll^ in head, hind lobe ends in short, 

 narrow, triangular point ; second dorsal similar, origin little nearer 

 ventral origin than subcaudal origin, length 1% to 2 in head; sub- 

 caudal height 1% to 11/^, 2% to 2% in caudal length; least depth of 

 caudal peduncle 41/4 to 5'% in head ; pectoral length 11/5, width 1% its 

 length ; ventral length 2 to 2%. 



Light cinnamon brown generally, paler below\ Fins all more or 

 less darker terminally. Though neither species with white tips to 

 fins, first dorsal and caudal tips paler than rest of fin. 



Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Madagascar, Seychelles, India, Ceylon, East 

 Indies, Philippines, Melanesia, Polynesia, Hawaii. 



U.S.N.M. No. 6688. Bonin Islands. William Stimpson. Length, 280-286 mm. 

 Two examples. 



Genus LEPTOCHARIAS Muller and Henle 



Leptocharias (Andrew Smith) ISIuixer and Henle, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. Charles- 

 worth, vol. 2, p. 36, 1938. (Atypic: Type, Triaenodon stnithii Muller and 

 Henle.) 



Leptocarias (Andrew Smith) Mijixer and Henle, Syst. Beschr. Plagiostomen, 

 p. 56, 1841. (Type, Triaenodon stnithii Miiller and Henle. "Typus der Gat- 

 tung Leptocarias Smith"'.) 



Leptocarcharias GtJNTHEE, Cat. Fishes British Mus., vol. 8, p. 384, 1870. (Type, 

 Triaenodon stnithii Miiller and Henle, orthotypic.) 



Body elongate, rather slender. Head short. Snout produced, 

 rounded at end. Eye with nictitating membranes. Mouth large, 

 greatly arched, labial folds long. Teeth equal, small, numerous, alike 

 in jaws, with longer median cusp and 1 to 3 smaller lateral cusps at 

 each side on base. Nostrils nearer mouth than snout end, front nasal 

 valve with elongate lobe. Last gill opening above pectoral base. 

 First dorsal above space between pectorals and ventrals. Second 

 dorsal above anal. Caudal without pit at root, small subcaudal 

 undeveloped. 



Though known only from the West African coast Barnard sug- 

 gests it may eventually be also found in South Africa. Jordan gives 

 ^''Leptocai^s Smith: 111. S. Af. Zool.; orthotype Triaenodon smithi 

 Gray," but on turning to that work I fail to find it there. 



LEPTOCHARIAS SMITHII (Muller and Henle) 



Triaenodon smithii Mxjixeb and Henle, Sy.st. Beschr. Plagiostomen, p. 56, pi. 21, 

 1841 (type locality: Kabenda Bay, West Africa). — Bleeicer, Nat. Tijdschr. 

 Nederland Indie, vol. 21, p. 57, 1860 (reference). — Dumekil, Hist. Nat. 

 Elasmobr., vol. 1, p. 387, 1865 (compiled). 



