TWO BANDED DIPLOPRION. 



Diploprion bifasciatum KUHL. et VON HASSELT. 



PLATE X. 



Le Diploprion, Cuv. et Valen. Hist. Nat. des 

 Poissons, i. 137. 



B7; D. 815; A. 2.12 ; C. 17; P. 17; V. 1.&, 



THIS singular looking fish was discovered on 

 the coast of Java. The body is compressed, 

 the "head very large, and nearly the depth of 

 the body, from whence the shape tapers towards 

 the tail. The opercle is armed with three strong 

 spines, and the preopercle has the edges toothed 

 and serrated. The first dorsal fin is large and 

 powerful, and contains eight very strong rays. 

 In the other fins nothing remarkable is seen 

 except in the ventrals, whose first and second 

 rays are long, and extend beyond the commence- 

 ment of the anal fin. The scaling is very minute. 

 The colours are a fine reddish yellow, relieved 

 by two crossing bands of black, the one through 

 the eye, the other from the termination of the 

 first dorsal fin, obliquely, to the anal ; the first 



