260 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.39. 



The species must be relatively rare. It is readily known from the 

 other Japanese species by its strong teeth. It may be that the 

 unrecognized species, Scisena ja'ponica, is identical with the species. 

 But the great difference in the size of the eye, and the fact that 

 Scisena nihe is sexually mature at a foot in length make this identifi- 

 cation very improbable. 



(Nibe, the Japanese name of large fishes of this group, from nihe, 

 isinglass, made from the large air bladder of Scisenoid fishes. Nibe 

 is used to bind bamboo sticks together.) 



7. SCI^NA JAPONICA Temminck and Schlegel. 



ScixnajaponicaTEUMiNCKand Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Poissons, 1843, p. 58, 

 pi. 24, fig. 1; Nagasaki, on a poor Japanese drawing sent by Burger to Schlegel. 



Habitat. — Southern Japan. 



Schlegel has published a crude drawing of a species he calls Scixna 

 japonica. The species has not been recognized. According to the 

 drawing, the body is elongate, the depth about 4, the head small, the 

 eye very small, the mouth moderate with rather strong teeth and sub- 

 equal jaws. The dorsal rays are X — II, 26, the anal II, 8, the second 

 anal spine small. The color is plain gray, paler below. According 

 to Burger it reaches a length of 4 to 5 feet, and its depth is 10 inches 

 to 1 foot. It is said to be known as Nobe, which is probably an error 

 for Nibe, the usual name for the larger Scisenoids in Japan. It is 

 taken in the spring in southern Japan, and is excellent as food. It 

 is eaten boiled. 



If any such giant Sciaenoid occurs about Nagasaki, it maybe recog- 

 nized as Scixna japonica. As the figure is of the crudest description 

 and the species thus far unknown, Steindachner suggests that it should 

 be erased from the system. It, however, resembles in some degree 

 the species obtained by us at Wakanoura, which we call Scisena nihe. 

 Our species is, however, much deeper in body with much larger eye 

 and a female example has mature ova at the length of a foot. 



There is no reason for supposing Scisena japonica to be the same as 

 Scisena argentata {hleeheri) as Steindachner has suggested. Still less 

 can it be identified with Otolithes argenteus, as suggested by Doctor 

 Giinther. 



