FISHES OF THE PHH,IPPINE ISLANDS AND ADJACENT SEAS 171 



denticulate. Scales with 12 to 14 basal radiating striae ; apical den- 

 ticles 95 to 140, with 4 to 14 transverse series of basal elements ; cir- 

 culi very fine. 



D. X, 13, I, third spine 3 to 4 in head, eleventh ray 2% to 3; 

 A. Ill, 8, I, third spine 314 to 4, fifth ray 22/5 to 2% I caudal I1/5 to 

 11/^, forked, each lobe rounded terminally with upper usually longer, 

 emarginate in young; least depth of caudal peduncle S^o to 3%; 

 pectoral li/s to I14 ; ventral 1% to 1%. 



Back olive brown, shading paler on sides to whitish below. Iris 

 brownish yellow. Fins all brownish, membranes of dorsals darker 

 and edge of soft dorsal very narrowly grayish. Caudal lobes deep 

 brown, often paler terminally behind. Soft anal like soft dorsal. 

 Pectoral with upper edge basally gray white narrowly and axil 

 dusky. 



Eeid Sea, Arabia, Zanzibar, Mozambique, India, Ceylon, East 

 Indies, Philippines, Queensland, Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia. 

 A very strongly marked species. The extremely gashed hind pre- 

 opercle edge receives a large bony subopercular knob or projection, 

 which is quite large in old examples. The back is greatly arched in 

 profile forward and the upper caudal lobe with greatly branched 

 rays, so that the whole lobe is conspicuously expanded with age. 

 The scales on the side of the body course in oblique rows, crossing the 

 lateral line to the profile above. The young have the caudal pe- 

 duncle above and the entire caudal fin blackish, the line of demarca- 

 tion sloping obliquely down on the side of the caudal peduncle to 

 the beginning of the lower caudal lobe. 



Although I thought Diacope rosea Valenciennes may be a synonym 

 of Lutjanibs argentwiaculatus likely it had best be placed as a 

 synonym of the present species, near which Giinther placed it. The 

 imperfect notice follows: D. XIII, 12. A. Ill, 8. Tuberosity of 

 interopercle and preopercle emargination very conspicuous. Form 

 of body like other species. Body rose or vermilion, head somewhat 

 more colored. Dorsal orange, with blue spots. Anal and ventral 

 blue. Length 231 mm. 



Kiippell's figure of Diacope melanura, based on a young example, 

 is somewhat crude as compared with Garrett's figures as reproduced 

 by Giinther. These visualize both the adult and young equally well. 



My examples do not show the narrow dark longitudinal lines of 

 Bleeker's figure of Lutjarvm hottonensis. Bleeker shows the rows of 

 scales also at variance, doubtless an oversight by the artist. Kner's 

 figure of Meso'piion hottonensis shows the squamation much better, 

 though its general appearance is that of a poorly preserved or partly 

 dried out specimen. 



