NO. 1351. SCORP^NOID FISHES OF JAPAN— JORDA N AND STARKS. 141 



preoperclo edg-e, a distance equal to half the diameter of e3'^e, the mid- 

 dle one but little .shorter, the one between very short, triangular, as 

 wide at its base as it is long-, the lowest short, rather sharj) and hooked 

 forward. Preorbital armed with 3 long, sharp spines, the anterior one 

 directed forward, the posterior one downward and backward, and the 

 middle one downward. Opercle with 2 ridg'es radiating from a ])oint 

 near opercle and ending- in spines. Gill rakers slender and moderately 

 long, 10 on anterior limb of arch. 



Scales very thin and cycloid. Head naked except cheeks and oper- 

 cle. Lateral line with large dermal tubes. Fins naked. 



Pectoral reaching to above middle of anal base. Ventrals nearly 

 reaching vent. Dorsals nearly separated; last 3 spines not graduated 

 in size, last 2 very tiny and subequal in length, the preceding one 

 twice as long; the fourth spine longest, 2i in head. Peritoneum 

 white. 



Body (red in life) with dots of dark brown scattered sparsely over 

 it. Spinous dorsal dusky; other fins colorless, doubtless red in life. 

 One small specimen 48 mm. in length, dredged b}^ the U. S. Fish Com- 

 mission steamer AJhatross (at 3708) in Suruga Baj^, off Ose Point, in 

 60 to T<> fathoms. It bears the number 50010 in the U. S. National 

 Museum. 



{svXa/J?/5^ w^ary.) 



12. PTEROIS Cuvier. 



Pseudomonoptems Klein, Missus. Pisces, V, 1756, p. 76 (lumbinomial) (rolitans). 



Pseudopteriis Klein, same type. 



Les Pteroix CvyiE,K, R'-giie Animal, Isted., 1817, p. 286 (voUtatii^) . 



PteroiH Oken, Isi.s, 1817, p. 1182, same type. 



JYems Cuvier and Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., IV, 1829, p. ."Jol {rolitam). 



Macrochi/rus Svt-AissoN, Nat. Hist. Classn. Anim., II, 1839, p. 264 {miles). 



Iteroleptus SwAistiOS, Nat. Hist. Classn. Anim., II, 1839, p. 264 {longlcauda) . 



Reropf ems SwAmsoN, Nat. Hist. Classn. Anim., II, 1839, p. 264 (radiafa). 



Bod}' elongate, compressed, covered with njoderate or small-sized 

 scales, which are usually not ciliated. Bones of head well armed; the 

 ui)per surface of head with cirri; opercle with a spine; mouth large, 

 with teeth on jaws and vomer, none on palatines; dorsal tin elevated, 

 with 12 or 13 spines, which are slender, sharp, and joined by mem- 

 brane only at ))ase; soft dorsal Avith liranched raj's; anal with three 

 spines and to 8 branched rays; caudal rounded or truncate; ventral 

 moderate, or long, the rays I, 5. Pectorals greatly elongate, the rays 

 simpl(> and largely' free from the base, the tips reaching to or beyond 

 the caudal tin. 



Species of rather large size, abounding about the coral reefs in the 

 tiopical Pacific, dreaded by fishermen on account of their venomous 

 spines. The coloration is very showy, most of the species being ye\- 

 lowish with dark' bands. 



{nrepov^ ^ving.) 



