7. MYRIPEISTIS. 25 



11. Myripristis japonicus. 



Myripristis japonicus, Cuv. S,- Vul. iii. p. 173. pi. 58 ; Faun. Japon. 



p. 23. pi. 9 a ; Richardson, Ichth. Cliina, p. 222. 

 ? MjTipnstis praliiiius, Richardson, I. c. p. 223. 



D. 11 I 1. A. :i. L. lat. 27-29. L. transv. 3/7. 



The height of the body is equal to the length of the head (oper- 

 cular spiue included), and one-third of the total; the interspace 

 between the eyes is one-sixth of the length of head. The upper 

 maxillaiy bone reaches a little beliind the middle of the eye, and is 

 not denticulated. The operculum is strongly striated, the striae 

 terminating in points at the posterior edge ; a very strong and 

 long opercular spine, each scale mth one or more stronger spinous 

 teeth in the middle of the posterior edge ; the third anal sj^ine much 

 stronger and also longer than the foiu'th, about the same size as the 

 opercular spine. Uniform red. 



Japanese Sea ; Isle de France. 



a. Large specimen : stuffed. Japan. Purchased. 



b. Adult : stuffed. Isle de France. From Dr. Jan\'ier's Collection. 



c. Half-grown : skin in spirits. 



d. ? Half-grown : skin in spirits. China. Presented by J. R. Eeeves, 



Esq. (Lateral line 30. D. 11 1 f^. A. ±.) 



12. Myripristis trachypoma. (Plate III.) 



B. 8. D. 11 1 1 A. ^. V. 1/7. P. 15. C. -'. L. lat. 29. 



L. transv. 3/7. 



The height of the body is nearly equal to the length of the head 

 (opercular spine included), and 2|- in the total ; the interspace be- 

 tween the eyes is one-sixth of the length of head. All the teeth 

 v'illiform ; the upper maxillary bone reaches behind the middle of 

 the eye, and is not denticulated. Opercles covered with spines, and 

 operculum with a rather strong spinous prominence ; scales ctenoid, 

 but the denticulations equal; the third anal spine much stronger 

 and also longer than the fourth. Ped, with longitudinal bands. 



Caribbean Sea. 



rt. Adult. Cuba. 



b. Adult. West Indies. Piu'chased of Mr. Scrivener. 



Description. — This new species is entirely different from the other 

 one from the West Indies, viz. Myripristis jacobus, and is closely 

 allied to Myripr. japonicus. 



Two characters alone justify a separation from the latter — the 

 scales in the Japanese species having one or two spinous teeth, 

 stronger than the other part of the serrature, and the much larger 

 size of the opercular spine. The form of the body is the same. 



AU the teeth are vUliform, except those which cover the two 

 prominences in front of the lower jaw. The lateral maz'gin of the 

 lower jaw is not straight, but undulating ; the vomerine teeth form 

 a small obtuse-angled triangle. The ujiper maxUlary bone is veiy 



