258 PR0CEEDIN08 OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.39. 



6. SCI^NA NIBE Jordan and Thompson, new species. 



? Scisena japonica Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Poissons, 1843, 

 p. 58, pi. 24, fig. 1; Nagasaki, after a Japanese drawing. 



Habitat. — East coast of southern Japan. 



Description of three specimens. — Length 305, 345, 385 mm. with 

 caudal, the longest taken as the type, a sexually mature specimen. 

 Head 4 in total length, 3 J in length to base of caudal (to last vertebra) ; 

 depth 3| to 3f in latter; length of maxillary 2; longitudinal diam- 

 eter of eye 3f to 4^; breadth of interorbital space over pupil 3 to 3J; 

 breadth of preorbital between eye and maxillary 10 in head, 2 J to 

 2§ in eye; snout 3J in head; dorsal rays X — I, 29 or 30; A. II, 

 7; scales in lateral line to last vertebra 52; number of transverse 

 series above lateral line 50, transverse series below lateral line 50; 

 between dorsal insertion and lateral line 7 or 8, between lateral line 

 and ventrals 15; gill-rakers 6 to 8 + 10 or 11 (and 3 or 4 rudiments 

 on lower arch) . 



Fig. 4.— Sci^na nibe. 



Body elongate, heaviest in anterior half, somewhat compressed, 

 its width 1^ in its depth. Dofsal profile not much arched from snout 

 to insertion of dorsal, almost straight above eye, descending in long, 

 gradual slope to caudal peduncle from insertion of spinous dorsal; 

 ventral profile evenly convex. Abdomen from ventrals to vent 

 slightly longer than head; length of caudal peduncle from last anal 

 rays to last vertebra IJ in head; head conic, compressed, its width 

 1^ in its greatest depth; snout rounded, blunt, not overhanging pre- 

 maxillaries, but convex in profile; suborbital space somewhat 

 narrow, flat; jaws subequal or lower slightly longer; maxillary 

 extending to below center of eye; mouth oblique, anteriorly on level 

 of lower border of eye. Teeth in two rows on both jaws; outer row 

 largest, well spaced in upper, becoming canine-like anteriorly, 

 smaller posteriorly, sometimes more prominent enlarged hooked 

 teeth below slits of free edge of skin on snout, showing externally; 

 inner row minute, closely set, well separated from outer row; on lower 

 jaw inner row largest, spaced as outer in upper jaw, becoming largest 



