1. CIREHITES. 71 



1. CIRRHITES. 

 Cirrhites, {Commers., Lacep.) Cuv. Reffne Anmi.; Cut ^- / ul. Hi, p. 66. 



The five to seven lower pectoral rays are simple ; dorsal with ten 

 spines. Villiform teeth in both the jaws, with the addition of 

 canines ; teeth on the vomer ; none on the palatine bones. Six 

 branehiostegals. Praeoperculum denticulated ; operciilum without 

 spines. Scales cycloid, of moderate size. Air-bladder none ; py- 

 loric appendages in small nimiber. 



From the eastern coasts of Africa to Polynesia. 



1. Cirrhites forsteri. 



Seba, iii. 27. 12 ; Jienard, i. 9. 61. 



Perca tasniata, Forster. 



Grammistes forsteri, Bl. Schn. p. 191. 



Sparus pantherinus, Lacep. iv. p. 160. pi. 6. f. 1. 



Cirrhites pantherinus, Cuv. 8f Vol. iii. p. 70; Less. Voy. Coq. Puiss. 



p. 225. pi. 22. f. 1; Bleeker, Banda, i. p. 232. 

 Serranus tankervillae, Benn. Fishes of Ceylon, pi. 27. 



D. 1^. A. f . L. lat. 50. L. transv. 5/12. Csec. pylor. 4. 



Vert. 10/16. 



Seven simple pectoral rays ; the pectoral does not reach so far 

 backwards as the ventral. Head and breast with deep- black points ; 

 a broad yellow band from above the pectoral to the lower half of 

 the caudal fin ; a broad black band above it from the middle of the 

 body to the uppe'^ half of the caudal. 



From the eastern coasts of Africa to the Pacific ; Cape Seas. 



a. Adult. Mauritius. Presented by the Zoological Society. 

 h. Adult : stuflfed. Mauritius. 



c. Adult: stuffed: not good state. Cape Seas. Presented by Sir 



A. Smith. 



d, e. Adult and haK-grown. India. Old Collection, as Perca 



crUentata. 

 f. Adult : skeleton. India. From the Collection of the Zoological 



Society. 

 y. Adult : skeleton. India. From Mr. Frank's Collection. 



Sheleton. — The skull is compressed, all the bones being well 

 ossified, and very solid. The intermaxillary is much shorter than 

 the maxillary, and has the posterior processes of moderate length. 

 The maxillary is slightly bent sword-shaped, broadest at the ex- 

 tremity. The mandibulary has some small pores along the lower 

 side. The head of the vomer is thick,- swollen, and armed with 

 teeth on the anterior margin only. The praeoperculum is crescent- 

 shaped, without angle, and with the posterior part of the margin 

 minutely serrated; the interior ridge is very low. The outlines 

 of the operculiun are very irregular : the posterior margin is 

 notched, but there are no spines ; the inferior margin is waved. 

 The interoperculum is bent, with the side joining the siiboperculum 



