394 PRISTIPOMATID^. 



from each other ; the posterior is situated above the anterior margin 

 of the eye, at the upper surface of the skull ; the anterior more on 

 the side of the head, nearer the eye than the extremity of the snout. 

 There are three series of scales on the praeoperculum, nearly one- 

 half of which is scaleless and finely striated; the lower limb is 

 rather longer than the posterior, both meeting at a rounded angle. 

 The operculum is without any spine, and the suprascapula is not ser- 

 rated. The origin of the dorsal fin is in a vertical line from the base 

 of the ventral, and its end above that of the anal. The spines are 

 extremely feeble ; the third is the longest, and one-haK of the length 

 of the head ; the posterior rays decrease in length to the origin of 

 the soft portion. The caudal fin is deeply forked, with -the lobes 

 equal, the length of which is 5^ in the total. The lower margin of 

 the anal is slightly emarginate, and the spines are rather shorter 

 than the first ray. The base of the ventrals is situated at some 

 distance from that of the pectorals, but, being much shorter, they 

 do not reach quite so far backwards as the pectorals. Their length 

 is 8| in the total, that of the pectorals 5^. 



The scales are smooth, not ciliated, scarcely higher than long, and 

 rather small ; one of the largest covers about one-eighth of the eye. 

 The lateral line is nearly straight, but slightly bent downwards above 

 the anal fin. 



The ground-colour of the back and of the sides is bluish, of the 

 belly sUvery ; a brown longitudinal band runs from the suprascapula 

 along, and on the tail above, the lateral line to the caudal, on the 

 upper lobe of which it is continued ; each scale abov6 this band has 

 a brownish margin. There is a similar band on the lower caudal 

 lobe. The dorsal fin is entirely blackish ; the other fins are colour- 

 less, except the base of the upper three pectoral rays, which is black, 

 like the axil. 



inches. lines. 



Total length 4 9 



Height of the body 9^ 



Length of the head 1 1| 



Diameter of the eye 3^ 



Length of the third dorsal spine 6| 



of the caudal fin 10 



of the pectoral fin 10 



of the ventral fin 6| 



Bleeker refers the following species to Ccesio, from which, however, 

 it must probably be separated, ha\'ing the dorsed fin entirely naked, 

 and seven branciiiostegals. There are, moreover, extremely minute 

 teeth on the vomer ; but these alone, as Bleeker justly obsei-ves, could 

 not alter the situation of this species in the system. 



12. CsBsio gymnopterus. 

 Bleeker, Ternate, vii. p. 372. 



K A. i-. 



15 12 



Dorsal fin without any scales. The height of the body is one- 



B. 7. D. ^. A. ^. L. lat. 65-70. 



