632 FROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MVSEUM. vol. xxxm. 



with 2 or 3 spines, the upper of which is longest; no spine on lower 

 face of preopercle; teeth in villiform bands on jaws, vomer, and 

 palatines, the vomerine bands 2, separate, and set lengthwise of the 

 shaft of the bone; ocular cirri absent or present; scales large or 

 small, 40 to 90 in the lateral line, which is variously smooth or armed, 

 partially or for its whole length. 



Species numerous, in sandy bays in the East Indian, Chinese, and 

 Japanese seas, five species found in Japan. This genus was origi- 

 nally separated from Platycephalus by the minor character of 

 the ocular cirrus. We are unable to separate from Thysanophrys , 

 the subgenera Insidiator, based on the large scales, and Grammo- 

 plites based on the spinous armature of the lateral line. 



(evffavog. fringe; ocpgvs, eyebrow.) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OP THE CxENUS THYSANOPHRYS POUND IN JAPAN. 



a. Insidiator, scales relatively large, about 40 in the lateral line; a small cirrose lap- 

 pet on upper rim of cornea; preopercular spines 3; D. I-VIII-11 or 12. 

 b. Lateral line armed ; ventrals reaching past front of anal ; color dark grayish brown, 

 the back crossed with about four indefinite broad bars; pectorals specked above, 

 their lower half blackish ; ventrals pale at base and tip, the middle blackish. 



spinas us, 2 

 hb. Lateral line smooth; ventrals not quite to front of anal; color light yellowish 

 brown, with vague dusky bars; pectorals and ventrals specked in the rays. 



macrolepis , 3 

 aa. Scales smaller, 70 to 90 in lateral line. 



c. Preopercular spines 3; scales 75; lateral line smooth; D. I-VIII-11; A. 11; no 

 cirri; color grayish, with small spots of dusky on head and trunk forward; 



caildal crossed by vague broad l)ars of dusky meerdervoortii, 4 



cc. Preopercular spines 2. 



(/. Ocular cirri present. {Thysanophrys, Platycephalus longlceps Cuvier and 

 Valenciennes) nematophthahiius Giinther, tcntaculatus Riippell, cirron- 

 asiis Richardson, etc., of the East Indies.) 

 dd. Ocular cirri absent. 



e. Lateral line armed for its entire length. {Platycephalus scaber Linnseus, 



type of Grammoplites Fowler, and other East Indian species.) 



ee. Lateral line smooth, or armed only anteriorly. 



/. Opercular membrane under preopercular spines with a conspicuous 



tongue-like flap, behind which is an acute notch; scales 70-80'; 



D. I-VIII-12; A. 12; color, reddish brown, with 6 vague cross bands; 



no spots; rays of both dorsals and of pectorals speckled, the membranes 



clear; caudal with numerous small spots japoniciis, 5 



ff. Margin of opercular membrane below preopercular spines entire; scales 

 90; D. I-VII or VIII-11; A. 11; color, dark purplish gray with 4 or 5 

 broad cross-bands; back, sides; top of head, and muzzle with numer- 

 ous small black spots; spinous dorsal blackish outward; soft dorsal 

 withrather large spots, extending into the membranes; caudal with a 

 few large spots and band-like splashes crocodilus, 6 



