Stayed 
\ 
ON THE ICHTHYOLOGY OF THE SEAS OF CHINA AND JAPAN. 217 
PLAtycerHALus GuTTATUS, C. et V. iv. p. 224; Temm. et Schl. F. J. p. 39. 
pl. 15. f.2; Icon. Reeves, 65; Hardw. Acanth.110. Chinese name, Sha 
hea (Birch); ‘“ Pebble armour” (Reeves); Sha hap (Bridgem. Chrest. 40). 
Japanese name, Notschi (Iangsdorff) ; Onigotscht (Fauna, Japonica). 
»’A’Canton specimen of this fish exists in the museum of the Cambridge Philosophical So- 
ciety, to which it’ was presented by the Rev. George Vachell. 
Hab. Coasts of China and Japan. 
PLATYCEPHALUS CULTELLATUS, Richardson. Icon. Reeves, 8. 28; Hardw. 
Acanth. 109. Rad. D. 1|-7|-13; A. 13, &e. (Figure.) 
Mr. Reeves’s drawing here quoted resembles no figure of a Platycephalus with which I am 
acquainted, nor does it correspond to any of the numerous species described in the ‘ Histoire 
des Poissons.’ It is remarkable for the length of its flat head, which forms nearly a third of 
the total length. Its small eyes are placed far forward and almost two diameters apart, Their 
orbits and the buccal ridges are unarmed. ‘The cranial ridges (two on each side) are armed 
by a series of recumbent spines without any of the parallel or diverging lines which exist on 
the same parts in P. insidiator. The preopercular spines are equal, or the upper one rather 
exceeds the other. There are no spines on the lateral line. The colour of the fish, as is usual 
in the genus, is brownish, with numerous darker specks on the head, shoulders, pectoral and 
ventral fins. The body is without spots, but the back is crossed down to the lateral line by 
four deep brown bars, one under the first dorsal, two under the second, and the fourth behind 
the latter fin. ‘The caudal is marked by five bars, the outer pair on each side being oblique ; 
put there are no markings on the dorsals and anal. In the number of bars on the back this 
figure agrees with the Pl. crocodilus of Krusenstern, pl. 59. f. 2, which I have not as yet had 
an opportunity of consulting. In the ‘ Histoire des Poissons’ and ‘ Fauna Japonica,’ Kru- 
senstern’s plate is conjectured to be a bad representation of Pl. guttatus, from which Reeves’s 
well-executed drawing is decidedly distinct. 
Hab. Canton. 
PLATYCEPHALUS JAPONICUS, Tilesius, Krusenst. Atlas, pl. 56. f.1; C. et V. 
iv. p.256 ; Temm. et Schl. F. J. p. 40. pl. 16. f.3. 
Sir Edward Belcher brought a specimen of this fish from the China seas, 
Hab. Seas of Japan and China. 
PriarycerHa.us aspER, C. et V. iv. p. 257. pl. 82; Temm. et Schl. F. J. 
p. 40. pl. 16. f. 4, 5. 
The same officer brought two examples of this fish from the same quarter. 
Hab. Seas of Japan and China. 
PLATYCEPHALUS SPzNosUS, Temm. et Schl. F.J. p.40. pl. 16. f.1, 2; Icon. 
Reeves (non Hardw.). 
I obtained a Chinese specimen of this fish from the insect-boxes above mentioned. 
Hab. Seas of Japan and China. 
PLATYCEPHALUS ENDRACHTENSIS, Quoy et Gaimard, Voy. de Freye. p. 353 ; 
C. et V. iv. p. 240. 
We have compared a specimen of this fish, which was taken at Chusan by Dr. Cantor, with 
one obtained on the north-west coast of Australia by Surgeon R. A. Bankier, R.N., and can 
detect no difference whatever, except that the two preorbitar teeth are less prominent in the 
Chinese specimen, which is smaller. The species is perhaps the most depressed of the 
Platycephali. 
Hab. Seas of China and Australia. 
In the ‘ Histoire des Poissons’ the Siluris imber bis of Houttuyn (Mém. dela Soc. de Harlem, 
t.xx. p. 388), or the Centranodon of Lacépéde, is shown to be a Platycephalus, and it is almost 
certainly one of the species above enumerated, but the description does not enable us to de- 
termine which of them. 
Bempras saronicus, C. et V. iv. p. 283. pl. 83; Temm. et Schl. F. J. p. 41. 
pi. 16. f. 8. 
‘Hab. Japan. 
Bemsras curtus, Temm. et Schl. F. J. p. 48. pl. 16. f. 6, 7. 
~ Hab. Japan. 
