FISHES. — MCCULLOCH. 



[nsidiatoe bosschei, Bleeker. 



139 



Platycephalus Bosscheis, Bleeker. Nat. Tijdschr. Nederl. Indie, 

 xxi., I860, p.. 140. 



Platycephalus Bosschei, Bleeker, Atl. Ichtli., ix., 1877, pi. 

 ccccxix., fig. 3-3a. 



Platycephalus isacanthus, Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. Wales, 

 v., 1881, p. 58-5 (not of Cuv. and Val.) 



D. ix. 12-13; A. 12; P. 20; V. i. 5 ; C. 9-11. Head 3.23-3.37 

 in the length to the hypural. Eye small, rounded, 6.09-6.81 in 

 the head, and 2.21-2,57 in the snout. Interorbital space concave, 

 |-| the diameter of the eye. Maxillary not quite reaching the 

 middle of the eye. Head with rather low ridges which terminate 

 in spines. A large anterior ocular spine ; supraocular ridges 

 ending in two or three spines of which the posterior is the 

 largest. The cranial ridges follow directly behind these, and 

 each terminates in a strong spine ; there are some indistinct 

 ridges radiating backwards from the terminal supraocular spine. 

 A short median ridge without a spine. The ridge from behind 

 the eye to the suprascapular bears four spines; the suprascapular 

 has one spine and the scapular may or may not be armed Bony 

 stay of cheek with one spine below the hinder margin of the eye. 

 Preopercular spines short and subequal, the upper acute, the 

 lower obtuse. Teeth minute, subequal, forming a broad band on 

 the upper jaw and a narrower one on the lower ; two short and 

 broad, parallel bands on the vomer, and a long narrow one on 

 each palatine. 



Scales moderate, ctenoid, in sixty three or ninety three rows 

 above the lateral line according to the direction m which they 

 are counted They extend forward onto the nape, and onto the 

 opercles and postorbital part of the preopercles. Those of the 

 lateral line are not differentiated from the others. Caudal 

 rounded. 



Colours after long preservation. -Brown above with indica- 

 tions of darker cross-bands ; the head and sides of the body are 

 closely speckled and marbled with lighter and darker markings. 

 Lips and cheeks with broad brown cross-bars. Spines and rays 

 of dorsal tins, caudal, pectoral, and hinder ones of anal with rows 

 of brown spots. Ventrals darker with whitish wavy lines. 

 Caudal with two characteristic brown blotches, one at the 

 postero-superior angle and the other covering the whole lower 

 margin. 



