456 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. tol. 39. 



Lutjanus coeruleopunctatus Bleeker, Ned. Tyd. Dierk, vol. 2, 1863, p. 278 I 

 (Amboyna). m 



Diacope alboguttata Cuvier and Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss, vol. 7, 1831, p. 

 445 (Malabar). 



Mesoprion myriaster Lienard, Nat. Hist. See. Mauritius, 1839, p. 32 (according to 

 Day and Bleeker). 



Habitat. — East Indian seas, said to range northward to Japan. 



Description. — Of two small specimens 70 and 85 mm. long from 

 Naha, Okinawa, Riu Kiu Islands; specimens from Padang, Sumatra, 

 and from Pago Pago, Samoa, the latter largest, 26 cm. in length. 



Head 2^ to 2§ in body length, 3 to 3 J in total; depth 2 J to 2| in 

 body; eye 3^ to 4§; maxillary 2| to 2^; interorbital space (bone) 5; 

 suborbital width 4 to 6 (narrowest in young) ; snout 2 J to 3 ; D. X, 

 15; A. Ill, 8; scales above lateral line 55 to 60; below 50; in lateral 

 line 50; in transverse series from insertion of dorsal to lateral line 8 

 or 9, from lateral line to anal insertion 18 or 19. 



Body deep, back strongly arched, especially in adults. Dorsal 

 profile of head straight, greatest curve of back at occiput and nape. 

 Snout not very pointed, its tip much below lower border of eye in 

 adult, not in young. Jaws subequal, maxillary ending below anterior 

 half of eye ; small canines present on either side of premaxillaries ; outer 

 rows of both jaws enlarged, inner villiform bands; vomerine teeth in 

 //\-shaped patch; tongue toothless; palatine teeth in narrow bands. 

 Lips thick, papillate on inner side. Preopercle with moderate narrow 

 notch, and interopercle with knob fitting into it. Margin of preopercle 

 finely serrate above, more coarsely below, especially in young. 

 Opercle with two points, the upper very short. 



Dorsal spines strong, third longest, 2^ in head. Spinous base 3 in 

 body. Dorsal rays 2 J in head; soft dorsal base 4h in body; its mar- 

 gin rounded or slightly pointed; anal spines stout, second longer than 

 third, 21 in head; anal fin angulate; third ray longest 2 to 3 in head, 

 reaching beyond last vertebra. Pectoral long, 1 1 in head, somewhat 

 falcate. Ventrals pointed, reaching the anus, but with filaments 

 which extend beyond. Caudal somewhat emarginate. 



Scales above lateral line parallel to it as far back as fifth spine of 

 dorsal, then oblique until last of soft dorsal. Rows below horizontal. 

 Scales on opercle in 9 rows; on preopercle 6, in a broad band on its 

 anterior edge, the posterior and lower limbs scaleless. Interopercle 

 with 1 or 2 series. Temporal scales in 2 or 3 series, unconnected dor- 

 sally, larger than those on opercles. Soft dorsal and anal scaled on 

 basal thirds, spinous dorsal with a shallow sheath at base, and a series 

 running up anterior edge of each spine as far as on soft dorsal. 



Color of young specimens in spirits rather dark, paler ventrally; 

 dorsal surface of head crossed by six narrow dark transverse lines, 

 not visible on sides of head and cheeks, as they later become wiien 

 adult; on body a transverse bar of black, as wide as pupil, running 

 through point of opercle, fading out below, and fainter dorsally on 



