258 BULLETIN 10 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Scales 98 in lateral line to caudal base and 15 more on latter; tubes 

 47 in lateral line to caudal base and 10 more on latter; 18 scales 

 above lateral line, 25 below, 52 predorsal, 24 rows across cheek to 

 preopercle angle at edge; body scales without small, basal, auxiliary- 

 scales; maxillary scaleless. Scales with 4 to 7 basal radiating striae; 

 28 to 34 apical denticles, in 4 to 6 transverse rows; circuli moderate. 



D. XI, 16, i, or 17, i, third spine 2% to 2% in total head length, 

 third ray 2 to 2^; A. Ill, 8, 1, second spine 2% to 3, third ray V/s to 

 234; caudal 13^ to 1%, convex behind; least depth of caudal pedun- 

 cle 2,% to 3%; pectoral 1% to \%; ventral V/ s to2}i. 



Brown, usually with five or six darker cross bands wide as inter- 

 spaces, often more or less inclined and sometimes paired or last two 

 or three often dividing below, and may form six inferior narrow 

 bands, some of which may extend on base of anal fin. Dark bands 

 also reflected on dorsal fins. Body often covered with dark spots, 

 often forming waved streaks on tail below which may be more or less 

 broken; spots on back nearly always more numerous. Belly, breast 

 and lower surface of head pale to whitish and immaculate. Iris 

 olive. Vertical fins brownish, colored with dark brown, gray and 

 dull olive, often producing a mottled appearance. Paired fins 

 brownish. Ventral darker terminally. 



We differ from Boulenger in separating this species from Serranus 

 diacanthus Valenciennes. It appears to differ in the arrangement of 

 the dark transverse bands, which are inclined instead of vertical; the 

 body is mottled and spotted as well as banded and the pectorals are 

 light instead of black or blackish. S. diacanthus, as figured by Day, 

 has two strong spines at the preopercle angle. In some examples of 

 of the present species the spines at the preopercle angle are enlarged, 

 three or more, but not two. We have no examples of S. diacanthus 

 from the Philippines though both species were secured in the Hong 

 Kong markets. 



7589, 15880. Catbalogan, Samar Island. April 14, 1908. Length 185 to 



193 mm. 

 13007. Catbalogan. April 15, 1908. Length 135 mm. 

 12833. Cavite and San Roque markets. June 27, 1908. Length 116 mm. 

 5995. Cavite market. December 1, 1908. Length 105 mm. 

 21918. Cebu market. September 1, 1909. Length 80 mm. 

 3253. Corregidor Light, Manila Bay. June 11, 1908. Length 157 mm. 

 13981. Iloilo market, Panay Island. May 31, 1908. Length 141 mm. 

 11769. Iloilo market. June 2, 1908. Length 150 mm. 

 5213, 12101. Manila market. June 11, 1908. Length 179 to 196 mm. 

 7758. Manila market. June 17, 1908. Length 179 mm. 

 20243. San Roque market, Cavite. June 13, 1908, Length 100 mm. 

 9967. Kowloon market, China. September 18, 1908. Length 153 mm. 



SERRANUS DIACANTHUS Valenciennes 



Serranus diacanthus Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. 2, 1828, p. 319. 

 Malabar.— Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vol. 1, 1859, p. 110 (Bengal, 



