292 BULLETIN 10 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



form 2 rows along each side of jaw; bands of fine teeth on vomer and 

 palatines, none on tongue; nostrils subequal or hind one but little 

 larger than front one; interorbital 5% to 63^, slightly convex; hind 

 preopercle edge denticulate, serrae obsolete with age, few at angle 

 larger; opercular spines 3, upper most advanced and closer to median. 

 Gill rakers 7+14, lanceolate, robust, 1)4 in gill filaments or 1% in 

 eye; 4 or 5 above and 4 or 5 below rudimentary. 



Scales 98 to 104 in lateral line to caudal base and 14 ? to 16 more 

 on latter; tubes 57 to 59 in lateral line to caudal base and 3 to 5 

 more on latter; 16 to 18 scales above lateral line, 30 to 33 below, 60 

 to 80 predorsal forward nearly to snout end, 33 to 40 rows on cheek 

 from lower eye edge to opercle angle; auxiliary minute scales very 

 numerously basal though not crowded densely; fins all finely scaled 

 basally; maxillary expansion with 20 to 23 transverse rows of scales- 

 Scales with 4 to 6 basal radiating striae; 21 to 32 apical denticles, 

 with 7 to 19 transverse series of basal elements; circuli fine. 



D.XI, 15, i or 14, i, third spine 3}4 to 4}4 in total head length, ninth 

 ray 2% to 2%; A. Ill, 8, 1, second spine 3 to 4%, fifth ray 2}/ b to 2%) 

 caudal 1% to 1%, convex behind; least depth of caudal peduncle 3% 

 to 3%; pectoral \% to 2%; ventral 2#o to 2%. 



Brown, below paler or of soiled appearance. Head, body, and fins 

 everywhere with obscure, ill-defined dark blotches, some as spots and 

 irregular or with faded appearance. Fins often darker than body, 

 usually well spotted. Iris brownish. 



Red Sea, Zanzibar, Mozambique, Natal, Madagascar, Mauritius, 

 Seychelles, India, Ceylon, Andamans, East Indies, Philippines, China, 

 Queensland. We have admitted this as distinct from Serranus 

 tauvina, with which Boulenger unites it. Our examples all show the 

 head, body and fins with large obscure or poorly defined darker 

 brown spots or blotches, though none on the lower surface of the 

 body, as the chest, breast, and belly. The dark saddles or cross bands 

 on the body are indistinct or absent in the adult, though present in 

 the young. The species is very close to Serranus tauvina, its soft 

 dorsal rays slightly less, usually 14 or 15, rarely 16. 



21079. Abuyog, Leyte Island. July 26, 1909. Length 137 mm. 

 8873. Basut River, east Luzon. June 15, 1909. Length 268 mm. 

 5662. Dagupan, Luzon. March 19, 1908. Length 87 mm. 

 4946. Iloilo market. March 29, 1908. Length 150 mm. 

 6951. Uoilo market. May 31, 1908. Length 97 mm. 

 One example. Manila market. April 21, 1909. Length 66 mm. 

 22470. Manila market. May 2, 1908. Length 100 mm. 

 5704. Manila market. May 4, 1908. Length 425 mm. 

 7761. Manila market. June 17, 1908. Length 183 mm. 

 10628. Manila market. June 17, 1908. Length 166 mm. 

 12410. Manila market. June 25, 1908. Length 150 mm. 



7624. Mouth of Malampaya River, Malampaya Sound, Palawan Island. Decem- 

 ber 26, 1908. Length 390 mm. 



