PEBCIDjE. 501 



serrated, also the shoulder-bone. Fins second dorsal spine highest 

 and about equal to rays in second dorsal. Ventrals reach anal, the 

 rays of which are similar to those of the soft dorsal. Caudal forked. 

 Colour olive-brown, a dark zone round the body from in front of 

 the first dorsal fin, and behind the ventral. Head spotted black. 

 A cloudy band below the second dorsal ; free portion of the tail 

 with some black spots and blotches. First dorsal with some dark 

 spots ; ventral nearly black. 



Hab. Andamans, Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



6G2. (23.) Apogon ceramensis. 



Apogon ceramensis, Sleeker, Batavia Nat. Tijdsch. iii, p. 256; Day, 

 Fish. India, p. 65, pi. xvii, fig. 6 (see synon.). 



D. 6 | 3/9. P. 14. A. 2/9. C. 17. L. 1. 23-25. L. tr. 2/7. 



Length of head 3|, height of body 3| in the total length. Eyes 

 85 diameters in length of head, |-from end of snont, and f apart. 

 Both borders of preopercle serrated along their outer edges. 

 Fins third dorsal spine slightly the highest, ventral does not reach 

 anal. Caudal notched. Colour greenish brown, with some dark 

 spots on the head ; a narrow blackish-brown band from the head 

 to the root of the caudal fin, where it ends in a round black blotch; 

 in its anterior half it is bordered on either side by a bluish-white 

 streak, which gradually decreases in width ; there is a brownish 

 blotch on the shoulder. The membrane between the second and 

 third dorsal spines is black. 



Hab. Nicobars and Malay Archipelago. 



12. Genus CHILODIPTEKUS (Lacep.), Cuv. & Val. 



Syn. Paramia, Bleeker. 



Branchiostegals seven; pseudobranchise well-developed. Opercles 

 spineless ; preopercle with a double edge, both, or the outer only, 

 serrated. Villiform teeth in jaws, vomer, and palate; canines 

 present generally in both jaws, and lateral teeth like canines. Two 

 dorsal fins separated by an interspace, the first with six spines, 

 the anal with two. Caudal forked. Scales ctenoid, large and deci- 

 duous. Lateral line distinct. 



Geographical Distribution. Indian and Pacific Oceans. Abun- 

 dant off Sind and the Andamans and Nicobars. 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 



Seven or 8 narrow black longitudinal hands . 1. C. macrodon, p. 501. 



Four or 5 bands 2. C. quinquelincatm, p. 502. 



Fourteen to 16 bands 3. C. lincatm, p. 502. 



603. (1.) CMlodipterus macrodon. 



Centropoimis macrodon, Lacdp. H. N. Poiss. iv, p. 273. 

 Cheilodipterus lineatus, Day, Fish. India, p. 66, pi. xviii, fig. 8 (not 



Fvrsk.). 

 Cheilodipterus macrodon, Lay, Fish. India, Suppl. p. 785 (see synon.). 



D. G | 1/9. P. 13. A. 2/8. C. 17. L. 1. 26-27. L. tr. 3|/7g. 



