NEW PHILIPPINE FISHES—FOWLER 59 
Family SERRANIDAE 
RHOMBOSERRANUS, new genus 
Type.—Rhomboserranus gracilispinis, new species. 
Body elongated, compressed, rhomboid, back little elevated. Caudal 
peduncle rather long, well compressed, much longer than deep. Head 
large, well compressed, upper profile little inclined. Snout short, tip 
level with middle of eye. Eye large, advanced in head, not entering 
_ upper profile. Maxillary reaches below eye, free, expanded posteri- 
_ orly and without supplemental bone. Preorbital very narrow. Teeth 
in upper jaw very minute, in narrow bands with outer in larger series 
similar to single row below. Premaxillaries protractile. Interorbital 
low, concave, less than eye. Preopercle with denticulated edge, large 
spine at angle, one above and three below of which front one directed 
forward. Two divergent opercular spines, lower larger. Lower edge 
of subopercle with few denticles. Suprascapula serrated. Gill rakers 
lanceolate, slender, lower 15. Scales ctenoid, rather large. Cheek, 
opercles, and occiput scaly, rest of head naked. Small scales on chest, 
breast, and prepectoral region. Caudal base scaly. Dorsals and anals 
each with distinct basal scaly sheaths. Lateral line high, arched, con- 
current with back, scales above in rows parallel with its course, below 
in horizontal series. Two dorsals, spinous fin much higher and with 8 
spines. Anal like soft dorsal and opposite, of three spines, with 
second spine longest. Caudal moderate, little emarginate behind. 
Paired fins well developed, pectoral low and reaches front of anal and 
ventral with spine and five rays reaching vent. Coloration dull, 
silvery below. 
A genus unique in its combination of characters, especially the 
rhomboid contour of the body, rather delicate spinous development 
and the plain coloration. 
(pou8os, rhomb-+ Serranus.) 
RHOMBOSERRANUS GRACILISPINIS, new species 
FIGURE 8 
Depth 214; head 214, width 224. Snout 414 in head measured 
from upper jaw tip; eye 314, exceeds snout or interorbital, close to 
but not entering upper profile of head; maxillary reaches halfway 
in eye, expansion 2 in eye, length 224 in head from snout tip; 
mouth well inclined, lower jaw protruded in front externally and 
directed forward; 4 very short spines at front of each premaxillary; 
. interorbital 434 in head measured from snout tip, level to depressed 
medianly; preopercle with row of short spines along hind vertical 
edge, 3 on lower edge and 2 widely divergent spines at angle; opercle 
with 2 widely divergent spines, lower longer. Gill rakers 8+ 15, 
lanceolate, longer than gill filaments or 2 in eye. 
