8. PEECALABRAX. 71 



smooth. Two dorsals, the first wdth ek^veu, the anal fin with three 

 spines. Operculum with two points ; prieoperculum serrated be- 

 hind, and with strong .spinous teeth beneath ; pncorbital entire. 

 Scales rather sHiall. Number of pyloric appendages increased (13). 

 Shores of China and Japan. 



1. Percalabrax japonicus. 



Labrax japonicus, Cui: Sr Val. ii. p. 85. 

 Percalabrax japonicus, Faim. Japon. p. 2. pi. 2. f. 1. 

 Lateolabrax japonicu;;, Bleek. I. c. 



D. 11 1 ^^. A. |. C'cec. pylor. 13. Vert. 16/19. 



Total length equal to somewhat more than four times the height 

 of body ; inferior edge of prajoperculum with five spinous teeth, 

 directed forwards. Back greenish grey, with round blackish spots ; 

 first dorsal fin spotted. 



Chinese and Japanese seas. 



a. Adult. China. Presented by J. R. Reeves, Esq. 



h. Adidt. China. Presented by the East India Company. 



e. Adult. China. From the Haslur Collection. 



d. Half-grown. China. 



e. Young, China. Presented by the East India Company. 

 /. Young. Chusan. Presented by the East India Company. 

 g. Young. Chusan. Presented by the East India Company. 

 h. Adult: stuff'ed. Japan. 



i. Young: stuifed. China. Presented by J. R. Reeves, Esq. 

 k. Intestines of specimen b. 



This species is in general appearance allied to Laics, exhibiting 

 also a concavity of the upper profile of head ; and the tongue is 

 smooth, without teeth ; but th.Q pseiidohrancMce 2iXG as much deve- 

 loped as in the species of Labrax. 



Skeleton. — The .skull is rather flat above, the paroccipital crest 

 not much elevated above the level, not extending beyond the supra- 

 occipital, and acutely pointed behind. The muciferous channels are 

 not, or very moderately, developed, as for instance that between the 

 orbits. The suborbital arch with an interior flat process ; the max- 

 illary bone without process, and with divergent straight-lined mar- 

 gins. Operculum with two points, both acute, the upper short, the 

 lower very elongate. The hinder limb of the pr«operculum is 

 minutely serrated, the angle and the lower limb bear four or five 

 strong spinous teeth, directed forward ; the sub- and intcr-opcrculum 

 are entire. The neural spines of the first ten vertel^rcc are strong and 

 broad ; the first interhaemal is exceedingly strong ; the plates between 

 the two bony centres of this bone (between the interhtemal of the 

 first, short anal spine and that of the second, strong one) are not 

 united, forming a deep .sheath ; it is attached to the ha:'mals of the 

 seventeenth and eighleenth verlebrse. 



