38. GLAUCOSOMA. 211 



length of the head ; the diameter of the eye is one-tliird of the 

 latter. The upper maxillary bone reaching to below the anterior 

 half of the eye. Prajoperculum serrated, not notched, ;uid with a 

 very long spinous tooth at the angle, reaching to the gill-opening. 

 The second dorsal spine longest. Candalis slightly emarginate. 

 Yellow, with two or three blue longitudinal bands. (Bl.) 

 Sea of Amboyna. 



38. GLAUCOSOMA. 



Glaucosoma, Temm. S,- Scldeg. Fa/in. Jajwii. Puiss. p. G2 ; JRichards. 

 Vol/. Ereh. Sf Terr. Fishes, p. 27. 



Seven, occasionally eight branchiostegaLs. .111 the teeth ^-illifonu, 

 without canines ; teeth on the palatines. One dorsal, with eight 

 spines, the anal fin with three. Operculum with two flat points ; 

 pneoperculum creuulated. Scales moderate ; head entu'ely covered 

 with scales. 



From the Japanese Sea to the Australian coasts. 



1 . Glaucosoma burgeri. 



Glaucosoma, sp., Fuitn. Japoii. p. 62. pi. 07. 



biirgeri, Richards. Voy. of Ereb. Sf Terror, Fishes, p. 27. 



hebraicum, Eichards. I. c. p. 27. pi. 17. 



D. :^. A. |. L. lat. 48. L. transv. ^. 



The height of the body is 31 in the total length, and nearly equal 

 to the length of the head ; the chamcter of the eye is ncarlj- one- 

 fifth of the latter. The upper maxillary bone reaches to beneath 

 the posterior third of the eye ; the whole snout densely scaly ; oper- 

 culum with two flat thin obtuse tips ; suprascapula not visible. 

 Candalis tnincated, with slightly convex angles ; the fii'st rays of the 

 dorsal fin longest. Back more or less distinctly marbled with black. 



Sea of Japan ; Houtman's Abrolhos, south-western coa t of 

 Austi'alia. 



Temminck and Schlegel described and figured a Japanese fi>sh from 

 a drawing of Bili'gcr, considering it the type of a new genus, Glau- 

 cosoma. Sir John Ixichardson afterwards chscovered, in the Collection 

 of the British Museum, two similar, stuffed specimens from Australia ; 

 he thought them to be diflerent fi'om the Jaj^ancse one, and gave to 

 the latter the specific appellation of hiirgeri, to the former that of 

 hebraicum. There can be no doubt of their specific diftereuce if we 

 compare the figures only, the first dorsal rays of the one being much 

 elongate, those of the other having the same length as the middle 

 ones. But on compaiing the typical specimens of G. hebraicum with 

 the figure of G. hiiryerl, I coxild not connnce myself of the real ex- 

 istence of two species. They agree perfectly Avith that figure in the 

 foi-m of the head and of the body, and in the number of the spines 

 and rays. The first dorsid rays are broken — a very common occuiTcnce, 

 owing to the ])ad practice of preserving fislies in a dried or stufi'ed 



p2 



