IM MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 



Lethrinus nebulosus Cvivier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vi, 1830, p. 284 ; Riippell, Neuo 

 Wirbelth. Abyss., Fisch., 1837, p. 118 ; GiJnther, Brit. Mus. Catal. Fish., i, 1859, p. 460 ; 

 Playfair, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1867, p. 8.54 ; Khinzinger, Verb. Zool-bot. Ges. Wien, 

 1870, p. 86; Day, Fish. India, pt. i, 1875, p. 136, pl.xxxiii, fig. 4 ; Bleeker, in Pollen & van 

 Dam, Faun. Madagascar, pt. 4, 1875, Poiss. p. 91; id., Verb. Akad. Amsterdam, xviii, 1879,. 

 p. 12 ; Klunzinger, Sitz. Akad. Wien, Ixxx, i, 1879, p. 352 ; Gunther, Zool. Challenger,, 

 i, 1880, Shore Fish., pp. 34, 39 ; Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, ix, 1884, p. 16 

 {after Giinther) ; Kent, Great Barrier Reef, 1893, p. 369 ; Steindachner, Abb. Senck. 

 Nat. Ges., xxv, 1901, p. 418; id., Denk. Akad. Wien, xxxix, 1902, p. 11 ; Jordan & 

 Seale, Bull. U. S. Bur. Fisher., xxv, 1906, p. 270. 



Lethrinus Gothofredi Cuvier & Valenciennes, ibid., p. 286. 



SPANGLED EMPEROR.*" 



Type locality: — Red Sea at Jeddah (L. nebulosus). 

 Red Sea at Suez (L. goiJiofredi) . 

 Trincomalee, Ceylon (L. opercularis) . 



Body snbovate to ovate, the dorsal contour well elevated, its width 2-2 to 

 2-55 in its depth, which is 2-35 to 2-8 in its length and a little more than the length 

 of the head. Caudal peduncle much longer than deep, its lea.st depth 8-5 to 9-25 

 in the body-length. Head a little longer than deep, its upper profile slightly 

 concave to above the nostrils, beyond which it is similarly convex, its width 2-15 

 to 2-3 in its length, which is 2-85 to 3-05 in that of the body. Snout long and 

 pointed, its length 1-75 to 1-9 in that of the head. Diameter of eye 2-1 to 2-5 in 

 the length of the snout and 1-3 to 1-55 in its distance from the angle of the mouth. 

 Interorbital region strongly convex, its width 4-1 to 4-33 in the length of the 

 head, and varying from rather more than the eye-diameter in the adult to as 

 much as or even less than the same in the half -grown and young. Jaws equal; 

 maxillary extending to below the anterior nostril, its length 3 to 3-15, that of 

 the mandible 2-33 to 2-5 in the length of the head. Hinder limb of preopercle 

 linear and vertical ; opercle with two blunt points, the upper little prominent. 



Canine teeth moderate ; posterior lateral teeth molariform. 



Scales in 47 or 48 series above the lateral line, in 6/1/16 or 17 from the 

 base of the first dorsal spine obliquely backwards; postocular scales in two 

 irregular series, smaller and more numerous than the parietal series, which is 

 mostly single. 



Dorsal fin originating above the pectoral-base, the spines slender but not 

 flexible, the 4th or 5th longest, 2-45 to 2-55 in the length of the head and 1-1 to 

 1-2 in the middle rays; remaining spines evenly and gently graded, the last 

 three subequal; soft dorsal one eighth to one third longer than high. Caudal 

 deeply emarginate, with pointed lobes, the middle rays 1-45 to 1-9 in the upper 

 lobe, which is 3-6 to 3-75 in the body-length. Anal originating below the 1st dorsal 

 ray, the 3rd spine as strong as and longer than the 2nd, its length 2-75 to 3-3 in 

 that of the head ; soft anal a little longer than high, the rays subequal, one seventh 

 to one fourth longer than the 3rd spine. Pectoral v/ith 13 rays, its length 3-15 

 to 3-4 in that of the body; 2nd ray as long as or slightly longer than the 3rd, 

 and extending to above the anal spines or not quite so far. Ventral inserted a 

 little behind the pectoral-base, the spine weak and flexible, 1-45 to 1-7 in the 

 outer ray, which is the longest, extending beyond the vent in the young, to or not 

 quite to the vent in larger examples. 



*" Through misadventure we are unable to publish a plate of this species. 



