Cases of poioonlnp by tho Reof Flah LUTJAmiS V/.IGlF'.'lilS 



While engaged In otudloo on tho reef fisheo of Okinawa Prefecture, I 

 recorded a ecore or more of polFoninK caoea cauood by aHnna (Liit jemin ya!lrJ-^n8ia 

 (Uuoy and Gaimard). A few roporto'^'^»^»5 of caoeo of huTnans boing poloonod by 

 this and related apocloa in tho South S«ao have already been publlahod. Hownvpi; 

 since poisoning caoea are not yot known from this area, I wish to preoont thin 

 report. Touching upon the preparation of thlo manuacrlpt, I would llko to px- 

 press my deep appreciation to Viscount K0I20 Stiibuaawa, who aldnd in thlo 

 study, and to ray kind teacher. Dr. Y«lchlro Okadu, for his constant (j.ilduncp 

 and review. In addition, thankc are dvie to Isamu Nngal, D.M. (Vlt Bnnholor of 

 Medicine) for hie many suggestiona, to Kllchl Sato, Dopnrtmont Urnd of the 

 Okinawa Prefectural Higher (formal School, for making faollltl<»a available for 

 this study, and to Technician Hlrotaka Yashiro. 



1. Descrlptioa of tho Spociea 



The fish which cauees poioonlng la Lttt.1aim9 valKJongla (Quoy and Galrnnrd) 

 and Is called akor>o and al;aaubl in this region. Doocrlbing a sln^:!© male 

 specimen, 335 millimeters in total length, caught at Kutnkajlma on July 3, 

 19A2J 



Akan a; l;ut-1anun vftlirrionols (Quoy and Gaimard) 



Morphology: body length:body depth, /* 3A} body length:head length, 2 3/5| 

 head length: onout length, 2 2/5; head length: dinme tor o<" oye, /♦ 3/A; nnout 

 length: diameter of eye, 1 3A. Body fusiform, dorsal profile oomewhat arched. 

 Eye placed high, onout conical vrt.th pointed tip. Gapo 'jomftwhat Blfint*«d, Up- 

 per and lower jaw roughly of thfi aamo length, tho end of tho upper Jaw reaching 

 a point directly beneath the ventral margin of the eye. Tho pontorlor edge of 

 tho opercle projects. Dorsal fin, 10 spineo, 1/, noTt mya; anal fin, 3 spinos, 

 8 soft rays; 57 pored scales along tho lateral lino; dorsal spim-a and royo 

 stiff; IV Is longest dorsal opine; III la longest anal spine; pfctoral fino 

 long and falcate w^lth slender tips reaciiinfj to the anuo. Caudal fin broad, 

 the posterior margin deeply split and bifurcate. The lat/jral linr runn high 

 •long the body, following th« dorsal profile; tho scale rowa doroal to tlio 

 lateral lino run at an angle to tho lateral line. 



Coloration: Back and doreal sideo of body reddiah-brov/n, abdomlnn] aides of 

 body rose-colored, abdomen wfiito. Dluioh-green parts benouth the eyen and 

 posterior margin of thw opercle tinged with brownish-gro»n. F'octom)!, dorsal, 

 and caudal fins light reddish-brown in color, pelvic and anal fino graylah-red, 



Roto3: This doscription agrees with okl^uedaj . L\itjan;iti vaio/zioriilH (Quoy and 

 Gaimard) of Okada and Katsubara". Purthermoro, it agrefni with Hiyatna' n' de- 

 Bcrlption of akadokiitarumi . Ip it.lqnno valeirlenslB (Quoy nnu Gnlmard) r-* ported 

 from Salpan and Tinian. On the othor hand, it dlffern froTi flnh reported from 

 Japan as okifiwcjai . Lut^anua yalenlenpia (Quoy and Gaimard) by ohl^oho Tanaka 

 in tho shape of the body, the relative diameter of the eye, numlxir of pored 

 scales along the lateral line, the anglo of tho dc«i1o rowu /ibovc the lntor»il 

 line, relative length of tho dorsal opines, relative longth of the nnal apinon, 

 the shape of tho caudal fin, and coloration of the body. Since I wbb unaV)l<" 

 to consult Quoy and Gaimard 's original doscription, i compared It with oth'^r 

 doBcrlptions and found that it ugroec very well with I!. W„ Kowler^'f*^'^ ljxt^\Hm\n 

 ▼algleneis (Quoy and Gaimard) reported from tho Philippino InlanrJn. Ki.-re, I 

 have adopted Lut■1an^a yaienlensis (Quoy and Gaimard) na the oclcntlflc name and 

 without using either of the two Japanese names, have rnforred to tliia fish by 

 its local name, akana . 



209 



