312 BULLETIN 10 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Pristipoma argenteum var. nageb Klunzinger, Verb. zool. bot. Ges. Wien, vol, 



20, 1870, p. 733. 

 Pristipoma commersomi (not LAcfip£;DE) Day, Fishes of India, pt. 1, 1875, pi. 8, 



fig. 3. 

 Pristipoma Jiasta (not Bloch) Day, Fishes of India, pt. 1, 1875, pi. 19, fig. 3 



(not fig. 4). 



Depth 2% to 2% ; head 1% to 2%, width 2 to 2^^. Snout 32/3 to 

 31^ in head; eye 3i/^ to 3%, greater than snout or interorbital ; maxil- 

 lary reaches eye, length 2% in head; teeth villiform, in narrow 

 bands in jaws; interorbital di/g to 41/2, broadly and slightly convex; 

 hind preopercle edge serrate. Gill rakers 6+12 short points, little 

 over half gill filaments, which % of eye. 



Scales 45 in lateral line to caudal base and 6 more on latter; 5 

 scales above lateral line, 10 below, 23 predorsal forward to nostril, 

 10 rows on cheek. Scales with 9 or 10 basal radiating striae ; apical 

 denticles 18 to 21, with 5 or 6 transverse series of basal elements; 

 circuli fine. 



D. XII, 14, I, third spine 1% to 1% in head, second ray Ij^ to 2; 

 A. Ill, 7, I, second spine 1% to 1%, second ray 1%; caudal 1% to 

 11/^?, slightly emarginate; least depth of caudal peduncle SYg to 3Vr5; 

 pectoral 1% to li/i ; ventral ll^. 



Body pale brown, lighter below. Back with longitudinal dark 

 streaks, variable, usually follow series of scales alternately. Iris 

 grayish. Dorsals pale, with dusky on membranes. Caudal and anal 

 dusted with pale dusky. Other fins pale. 



Eed Sea, Arabia, India, Siam, Pinang, Singapore, Philippines, 

 China. As described by Cantor Pristipoma auritum seems to be the 

 present species : 



Eye T in head. Mouth very small. Teeth few, outer series 

 medially above little stronger than others and few below nearest 

 mouth angle largest and nearly conical. Caudal entirely covered 

 with minute scales. D. XII, 14, fourth spine % of body depth; A. 

 Ill, 7 to 8, second spine equals fourth dorsal spine. Upper part of 

 muzzle dark brown, rest of head, upper half of opercle and lax gill 

 membranes and cheeks light brownish gray with silvery reflections. 

 Preopercle, lower half of opercle and gill membrane silvery yellow- 

 ish, minutely dotted brown. Back and upper part of sides light 

 gray green, lower part of latter and abdomen yellowish white. 

 Scales on occiput and upper half of body with reddish brown spot 

 at root, reflecting lilac and forming irregular series of longitudinal 

 lines; scales of lower half of sides silvery at root, minutely dotted 

 with brown; fin. membranes transparent whitish, minutely dotted 

 brown, rays yellowish white; between dorsal spines numerous red- 

 dish brown or elongated spots, forming 3 to 6 oblique series ; margin 



