FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND ADJACENT SEAS 79 



53 predorsal forward to snout tip, 12 to 15 rows across cheek to 

 angle of preopercle ridge. Suprascapula with broad, serrated, tri- 

 angular spine. Scales with 35 or 36 strong apical spines; circuli 

 fine basally; broad triangular keel well developed. 



D. X, 12, 1 or 13 I, last spine 1% to 1% in total head length, second 

 ray lyV to I14 ; A. Ill, 12, i or 13, i, third spine 1% to 21/3, third ray 

 11/3 to 1%; caudal II/3 to 1%, truncate; least depth of caudal 

 peduncle 31/2 to 33/5; pectoral 11/2 to 1%; ventral 2i/8 to 2% in 

 combined head and body to caudal base. 



Uniform pale brown generally. Membranes of spinous dorsal 

 pale dusky terminally, blackish over most their extent in small ex- 

 amples. Ventrals dusky, blackish terminally. 



Arabia, Cape of Good Hope, Madagascar, Mauritius, Bourbon, 

 Reunion, Ceylon, Philippines, China Sea, Japan, Queensland, New 

 South Wales, Hawaii. Also in the tropical Atlantic. 



The most handsome and striking species of the family, readily 

 known by its elongated blackish ventrals. 



38818 U.S.N.M. Tokyo, Japan. Department of Education of Japan. Length 



310 mm. 

 71136 U.S.N.M. Tokyo. Albatross Collection, 1906. Length 295 mm. 

 75475 U.S.N.M. Bingo. D. S. Jordan and J. O. Snyder. Length 235 mm. A.s 



Priacanthus japonicus. 

 52898 A.N.S.P. Nagasaki. 1929. Henry W. Fowler. Length 290 mm. 



Genus PSEUDOPRIACANTHUS Bleeker 



Pseudopriacanthus Bleeker, Versl. Meded. Akad. Wet. Amsterdam, ser. 2. vol. 

 3, 1869, p. 241. Type Priacanthus niphonius Cuvier, monotypic. 



Body well compressed, deep, depth greater than half of length to 

 caudal base. Eye very large. Mouth large, protractile, vertical, 

 chin prominent. Maxillary exposed, without supplemental bone. 

 Bands of villiform teeth in jaws, on vomer and palatines. Hind 

 nostril very large, close before eye. Preopercle denticulated. Inter- 

 orbital broad, flat. Gill membranes separate. Gill rakers long, 

 17 on lower branch of first arch. Pseudobranchiae very large. 

 Branchiostegals 6. Scales large, firm, well denticulated, striated. 

 Lateral line complete, tubes straight and exposed whole length of 

 scale. Dorsal spines 10, rays 11 or 12, spinous fin longer than soft 

 fin. Anal with 3 spines and 9 to 11 rays, soft fin like soft dorsal. 

 Caudal rounded. Pectoral asymmetrical, rounded, rays 18 or 19 

 and upper longest. Ventral inserted little before pectoral base, 

 large, close together, attached to belly by membrane and spine very 

 strong. 



Western Pacific and Indian Oceans, also western tropical Atlantic. 



