41. I'lUACANTHlTS. 210 



Fourth Group. PRIACANTHINA. 



41. PRIACANTHUS*. 



Priacantlius, Cm: ^- Val. iii. p. 90. 



Six brancliiostegals. All the teeth villiform, without canines ; 

 teeth on the palatine bones ; tongue smooth. One dorsal, witli ten 

 spines ; the anal fin with three. Operculum with an indistinct 

 point ; jiroeopcrculum serrated, A\'ith a more or less prominent, flat, 

 crenulated angle. Scales small, rough ; snout covered with ctenoid 

 scales. Lower jaw with prominent chin ; ej-e large. 



Seas of the tropical regions (Australian Seas ?). 



1 . Priacanthus macrophthalmus. 



Priacantlius macrophthalmus, Cm: S,- Val. iii. p. 97 (not Block) ; 

 Stannius in 3Iiiller's ArcJiiv, 1848, p. 399 (on the smm-bladder). 



arenatus, Cm: 4'- Val. iii. p. 101. 



fidgens, Lowe, Trans. Zool. Sac. ii. p. 174. 



D. -ii- A At- L- Ifit. 80-85. Vert. 9/13. Case, pylor. 5. 



13-14. •'^' 14-15 ' '■ *' 



The height of the body is 3^ in the total length, the length of the 

 head is rather more than one-fourth of the latter ; the diameter of 

 the eye is 2^ in the length of the head. The posterior opening of 

 the nostril is a long slit, three times as long as broad ; the maxillary 

 bone reaching a little beyond the anterior margin of the eye. Angle 

 of the proeoperculum obtuse, Avith a short flat spine in the male ; 

 operculum with two short spines ; sub- and interoperculum entire. 

 Caudalis truncated ; the dorsal and anal spines gradually becoming 

 longer behind, the first ones with a rough surface ; the length of the 

 second dorsal spine is 1^ in that of the last ; the ventral fins reaching 

 beyond the front end of the anal, the pectorals much shorter. Uni- 

 form red ; fins %\'ith a blackish edge. 



Caribbean Sea ; Coast of Brazil ; Madeira. 



a. Fine specimen : male. Cuba. Presented by the Zoological Society. 

 b~e. Adult and haLf-gro\\Ti : skius. Jamaica. From Dr. Pamell's 



Collection. 

 /-/(. Half-grown : male. W. Indies. 

 i. Fine specimen : female. Madeii'a. Presented by the Eev. R. T. 



Lowe {^Prnicanthus fulgens, Lowe). 



* 1. Lnbrus cruentatus, Lacip. iii. p. 522. pi. 2. f. 3. — Priat'autlius cruentatus, 

 Cuv. <f- Val. iii. p. 102.— Atlantic. 



2. Priacanthus ai-genteus, Cuv. i|- Val. iii. p. 109; Renard. i. pi. 12. f. 72. — 



East liulies. 



3. Pnacanthus macropteru.s, Cuv. cf Val. vii. p. 471 : Qiwi/ if Gaim.Voi/. de 



rj.sfrol. pi. 7. f. 4. -St. Helena. 



4. Priacanthu.s fax, Cuv. <f- Val. vii. p. 473. — Soychclles. 



