8. HOLOCENTEUM. 33 



third to sixth dorsal spines longest, one-third of the height of body ; 

 both lobes of the caudal equal, and one-fifUi of the total length. 

 The third anal spine is not very much longer than the fourth, not 

 twdce as long as the longest of the dorsal, and 5| in the total length. 

 Ventral fins scarcely longer than the pectorals. Red, with lighter 

 longitudinal bands ; the spinous dorsal with a longitudinal series of 

 round white spots, always one between two spines. 

 Sea of S. Christoval. 



a. Adult. From the Collection of the Zoological Society. 

 6. Adult ; stuffed. S. Christoval. Voyage of the Herald. 



Description. — This species appears to be near Holoc. pcecihpterum, 

 from which, however, it differa in several respects, as is evident from 

 the diagnosis given above ; from Hoi. tiere it may be distinguished 

 by eleven dorsal spines, and from H. tieroides by a greater number 

 of scales in the lateral line. It belongs to the species with high 

 body and compressed head. The snout is rather pointed, and equal 

 to the diameter of the eye ; the vomerine teeth stand in an obtuse- 

 angled triangle, with a rather concave posterior edge. The anterior 

 infraorbital bone has a rather strong tooth in front of the supple- 

 mentary bone of the maxillary, and another rather smaller one 

 beneath the anterior half of the orbit ; between them are five or 

 seven small ones ; the remainder of the infraorbital arch is finely 

 serrated. The number of the radiating ridges on the occiput varies 

 on both sides from seven to nine. All the opercles are very strongly 

 striated over all their surface, and deeply denticulated behind ; so 

 also the scapulary bone. The size of the opercular spines varies : 

 there are — 



In specimen a. on the right side, two strong spines, the upper 

 rather longer. 



In specimen a. on the left side, two spines, the lower indistinct. 



In specimen h. on the right side, two strong spines, the upper 

 rather longer. 



Inspecimen 6. on the left side, two equal strong spines. 



The praeopereular spine has two deep grooves, and is one-half of 

 the length of the posterior margin of praeoperculum ; suboperculum 

 serrated along its whole length, interoperculum entire in its anterior 

 half. 



The spinous dorsal is very low, its longest spine being one-third 

 only of the height of the body ; the last spine is two-thirds of the 

 first. The longest ray of the soft dorsal is the third, being longer 

 than one-haK of that height. The soft dorsal begins on a level with 

 the twenty- eighth scale of the lateral line. The caudal fin has, as usual, 

 some spinous rays on the upper and lower side of the root ; the lobes 

 are equal to one-fifth of the total length, and pointed. The anal com- 

 mences opposite the soft dorsal ; the first spine is minute ; the second 

 very small, shorter than the shortest of the dorsal ; the third longest, 

 but shorter than the longest ray of the anal, and contained 5-| in the 

 total length ; the fourth spine slender, twice as long as the first of 

 the dorsal fin ; the first ray is the longest, one-fifth of the total 



D 



