PERCIDJE. 481 



lateral line. Colour roseate, with oblique lines above the lateral 

 line ; below the lateral line the sides and abdomen are yellow, with 

 narrow red horizontal bands. One specimen, captured December 

 1869, had a lateral band as in L. vitta. 



Hab. Seychelles, Indian seas, and Malay Archipelago ; attaining 

 about a foot in length. 



625. (30.) Lutjanus decussatus. 



Mesoprion decussatus, Cuv. fy Val. H. N. Poiss. ii, p. 487. 

 Lutjanus decussatus, Day, Fish. India, p. 47, pi. xiv, fig. 4 (see 

 syrion.). 



D.10/13-14. P.15. A.3/8. C.17. L.l.50-54. L.tr.6-7/17. Cscc.pyl.3. 



Length of head 3| to 3f , height of body 3 to 3| in the total 

 length. , Eyes diameter 4 to 4| in length of head, 1| diameter 

 from end of snout, and nearly 1 apart. Snout pointed, lips rather 

 thick ; jaws of equal length in front. Yertical limb of preopercle 

 with a shallow emargination, having fine serrations which are lost 

 at the angle ; a slight interopercular knob. Fins third to fifth 

 dorsal spines the longest ; behind they decrease to the last ; soft 

 portion of fin rounded and lower than spinous ; ventral reaches 

 two thirds of distance to anal ; first anal rays highest, lower margin 

 of anal rounded ; caudal forked, upper lobe the longer. Scales 

 in oblique rows above the lateral line, and in horizontal below. 

 Colour whitish, with six longitudinal black bands along the body, 

 and six badly marked short vertical ones in its upper third 

 descending from base of dorsal fin and crossing the former; a 

 deep black spot at root of caudal. A white band across the occiput. 

 Fins greyish, anal with a white front edge. 



Hob. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, and beyond. 



Third group. PEIACANTHINA. 



9. Genus PRIACANTHUS, Cuv. & Val. 



Branchiostegals six ; pseudobrauchiao. Body oblong and some- 

 what elevated. Eyes large. Lower jaw prominent. Preopercle 

 serrated behind and below as well as on the angle, which is produced 

 into a flattened spine-like point; opercle with a point. Teeth 

 villit'orm in the jaws, vomer, and palate, none on the tongue. A 

 single dorsal fin, with nine or ten spines ; anal with three. Scales 

 small and ctenoid, extended on to the snout. 



Geographical Distribution. Tropical seas. 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 



Light lake-red, vertical and ventral fins with 



narrow black edges 1. P. hamrur, p.482. 



Ventrals spotted with brown ; a dark edge to 



dorsal and anal 2. P. Jiolocenfmm, p. 482. 



2i 



