FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS AND ADJACENT SEAS 271 



tinct spine hooked backward on second suborbital; below usually 1 

 or more points. Preopercle serrated. Opercle with small spine. 

 Pseudobranchiae present. Branchiostegals 5 or 6, last one very 

 small. Air bladder simple. Pyloric appendages 5. Scales rather 

 large, 35 to 50 in lateral series, ctenoid. Head, including front and 

 opercles, scaly. Vertical fins scaleless. Dorsal single, with 10 

 spines, 9 to 11 rays. Anal spines 3, rays 6 to 8. Caudal emarginate. 

 Pectoral pointed. 



Assembled in this genus are a number of well defined species, 

 many quite similar structurally, though often very diverse in colora- 

 tion. De Vis has described two nominal forms which do not permit 

 of acceptance at present : 



Scolopsis specularis De Vis.^^ 



Depth 2% in length; head 3%. Eye 3 in head, covered by thick, 

 protruberant transparent mucus. Preopercle not notched, hind 

 limb and rounded angle strongly denticulate. Preorbital spine mod- 

 erate, with 1 precedent denticle ; preorbital I/2 eye. D. X, 8 ; A. Ill, 

 7, spines subequal in length and strength. Tail emarginate. First 

 pectoral ray slightly produced. Light brown. Conspicuous pearly 

 line, edged with black, behind hinder half of dorsal; another, formed 

 of markings on bases of scales along middle of posterior half of 

 body. Length not given. 



Scolopsis plebaeius De Vis.^^ 



Depth 3% without caudal; head 414. Snout 3% in head; eye 21/2, 

 edge with single preorbital spine and 2 feeble denticulations beneath 

 on one side, not on other ; interorbital 3 ; hind preopercle limb ver- 

 tical and strongly serrated, produced angle with 3 large flat den- 

 ticulations; upper profile gibbous over nape. D. X, 9; A. Ill, 7, 

 third spine equal to second, much weaker. Pale brown. Line of 

 oval white spots at base of first dorsal and front half of second, run- 

 ning out along middle of second ; on last 5 webs of first and first of 

 second dorsal black spot between white one and base of spine. 

 Length 152 mm. 



Leptoscolopsis nagasakiensis Tanaka I have been unable to consult 

 from the above citation. 



ANALYSIS OF SPECIES 



o\ Parascolopsis. Infraorbital without distinct backwardly directed spine 

 below eye, its edge usually finely serrate. 

 b\ Body uniform or with pale median longitudinal band. 



&. Lower gill rakers 6 or 7; preopercle flange scaly townsendi. 



c*. Lower gill rakers 11 ; preopercle flange naked eriomma. 



&^ Body with 6 dark transverse saddlelike bands ; hind infraorbital edge 

 denticulate inermis. 



^ Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales, vol. 7, 1882, p. 369. Queensland. 

 =»Idem, vol. 9, 1884, p. 400. Queensland. 



