446 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.39. 



This genus is a very large one, showing much variation in form, 

 dentition and scaHng. At present we do not venture to subdivide it. 



Species very numerous, chiefly of the East Indies and West Indies, 

 active, predatory fishes, highly valued as food. 



(Name from Ikan Lutjang, the Malay name of Lutianus lutianus.) 



a}. EvoPLiTEs. — Top of head Bcaly; notch in preopercle deep. 



6'. Sides with about 4 narrow sharply defined blue stripes; D. X, 15; A. Ill, 8; 

 scales about 9-75-20; scales above lateral line in series not parallel with the 



lateral line kasmira, 4. 



tt^. Lutianus. — Top of head naked; notch in preopercle shallow. 



c^ Vomerine teeth in a /K -shaped patch, with a posterior shaft; teeth on tongue 

 in adults; a black bar or blotch on sides, young usually with 3 or 4 black lon- 

 gitudinal stripes; scales above lateral line in series not parallel with lateral 

 line, 

 d'. Sides with a broad black stripe from eye to middle of caudal, somewhat 



interrupted and widened below soft dorsal; scales 7-60-15 vitta, 5. 



<P. Sides with a large black blotch below first rays of soft dorsal, its largest 

 part above lateral line; no broad lateral stripe; young with 3 or 4 black 



lengthwise streaks. Scales 8-50-16 russelli, 6. 



c^. Vomerine teeth in a /\-shaped patch, without backward shaft; tongue tooth- 

 less; no black lateral stripe or lateral blotch; scales about 50. 

 eK Caudal peduncle with a black saddle-like blotch at its base, bordered 

 anteriorly and posteriorly by lighter spots; third anal spine not shorter 



than second. Scales about 11-50-20 erythropterus, 7. 



c^. Caudal peduncle without black saddle; third anal spine shorter than sec- 

 ond ; scales larger. 

 p. Head in adult with blue sinuous lines; young with dark bars; usually 

 a milk-white blotch on lateral line below first dorsal rays. Scales 



9-50-18 rivulatus, 8. 



f^. Head without blue or dark stripes; fins narrowly margined with yel- 

 low, with black submarginal shades; no white blotch. Scales about 

 , 7-50-16 vaigiensis, 9. 



4. LUTIANUS KASMIRA (Forskal.) 



Scisena hasmira ForskIl, Descr. Anim., 1775, p. 46 (Red Sea). 



Mesoprion kasmira Klunzinger, Fische Rothen Meeres, 1884, p. 12, in part (Red 



Sea). 

 Lutianus kasmira Day, Fishes India, 1888, p. 783 (India). — ^Jordan and Snyder, 



Check List, Ann. Zool. Jap., vol. 3, pts. 2 and 3, 1901, p. 76. 

 Evopliles kasmira Jordan and Evermann, Fishes North and Middle America, 



vol. 2, 1898, p. 1246 (Swatow, China). 

 Holocenlrus quinquelineatus (or quinquelinearis) Bloch, Ichthyologia, 1790, pi, 239 



(Japan) (not Lutianus quinquelineatus of most subsequent authors). 

 Holocentrus bengalensis Bloch, Ichthyologia, 1790, pi. 246, fig. 2 (Bengal). 

 Genyoroge bengalensis GiJNTHER, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vol. 1, 1859, p. 178, in part 



(Red Sea, India, lie de France, Amboyna, Fiji, Louisiades: China). 

 Lutianus bengalensis Bleeker, Nat. Verh. Kon. Akad., vol. 13, Revision Lutjani, 



1873, p. 34 (Sumatra, Java, Celebes, Timor, Ternate, Halmahera, Batjan, Buro, 



Ceram, Amboyna, Waigiu). — Day, Fishes India, p. 33, 1875, pi. 10, fig. 4. — 



Bleeker, Atlas Ichth., vol. 8, 1876, p. 55, pi. 333. — Steindachner and 



Doderlein, Fische Japans I, Akad. Wiss. Wien., vol. 47, 1883, p. 28 (Kago- 



shima), and of various authors. 



