182 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. iie 



Japanese species, 8 of the dorsal rays are branched and there are 

 13 pectoral rays. 



Another species recorded from Japan, A. nummifer (section 51b), 

 is close to this new species, but it differs in having all of the anal rays 

 divided and the last 2 or 3 dorsal rays divided at their tips. The 

 number of fin rays in the two species agrees but the color pattern of 

 A. nummifer does not show round white spots like those of 

 A. japonicus. 



This species is named japonicus in reference to the country where 

 the holotype was collected. 



Antennarius indicus, new species 



Plate 3 



Holotype, SU 40090, Vizagapatam, India, Dec. 25, 1940, collector 

 A. W. Herre, only known specimen, 44.5 mm. standard length. 



The following counts were made: dorsal rays 12, last 2 branched; 

 anal 7, all branched; caudal 4 + 5, all branched; pectoral 13-13, all 

 simple; pelvic rays 1,5, last ray branched. 



Bony part of first dorsal spine shorter than second dorsal spine, 

 bearing a tuft of tentacles at tip; skin just behind second dorsal spine 

 naked; third dorsal spine movable and slightly longer than second 

 spine; gill opening close to base of pectoral fin; caudal peduncle 

 distinct, deeper than long; skin thickly covered with bifid to multifid 

 prickles; scattered dermal cirri present. 



Color in alcohol: background coloration gray, with a dark spot 

 in middle of side of body, belly plain light gray; anal and caudal 

 fins with scattered dark spots; outer third of dorsal fin with 6 dark 

 bars, and a larger dark spot between bases of 7th to 9th ray; dorsal 

 surface of pectoral fin with dark spots except tips of rays white, under- 

 side of pectoral uniformly light gray; body appears to have had other 

 dark markings, now indistinct. 



Remarks: This species traces through my key of the Anten- 

 nariidae (1957, pp. 53-62) to section 49b, but it differs from section 

 50a (A. verrucosus) and 50b (A. altipinnis and A. pauciradiatus) 

 by having 13 pectoral fin rays, instead of 9-11, a difference thought 

 to be of significance in this family. Among the various species 

 referable to the subgenus Antennarius, only two have as many 

 pectoral rays as 12 or 13: A. sanguineus from the eastern Pacific 

 and A. dromhus from Hawaii and Cocos Island. The caudal peduncle 

 in both species is very short, its depth 2^ or 3 times its length, whereas, 

 in A. indicus, the depth is 1% its length. The lower sides and belly 

 of A. dromhus and A. sanguineus are dark-spotted, whereas A. indicus 

 lacks spots ventrally. 



The new species is named indicus in reference to the country where 

 the holotype was collected. 



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