335 



Dorsal profile arched, or only slightly convex. Ventral profile 

 slightly convex. Height 2.3 3.2, 3 4.1 in length with caudal. 

 Head 2.3 3.3, 3 4.2 in length with caudal. Eye 4 6, some- 

 what more than or equal to length of snout, 2.5 4 in post- 

 orbital part of head and 1.3 2.1 in convex interorbital space. 

 Head scaly. Four to five rows of scales between eye and 

 hindborder of praeoperculum. Operculum, suboperculum, inter- 

 operculum and praeorbital bordered by long radiating spines, 

 less well defined, fewer in number in young and absent in 

 very young specimens. Praeoperculum with some spines at its 

 lower posterior border only. Posterior nostril close to front- 

 border of eye, larger than the anterior one, which is situated 

 at some distance of the former and has a barbellike valve. 

 Jaws equal, cleft of mouth oblique, reaching to below pupil. 

 Rather narrow bands of small crowded teeth in jaws and one 

 A-shaped row of somewhat larger teeth on vomer. None on 

 palatines. Dorsal and anal spines strong, flattened antero- 

 posteriorly. The first dorsal one, which is separated by 15 19 

 scales from snout, is the shortest, the y& 5th O r the 4^ 6th 

 spines are the longest, about of the same size and longer than 

 or equal to snout and eye together. Soft portion of dorsal 

 and anal higher than the spinous part, rounded in the dorsal, 

 obtusely pointed in the anal. First anal spine below 8th O r 

 Qth dorsal spine. Origin of pectorals below origin of dorsal. 

 Pectorals as long as distance between middle of eye and hind- 

 border of operculum or somewhat less. Ventrals originating 

 somewhat behind origin of pectorals, their spine strong, about 

 equal to interorbital space, longest soft rays shorter than 

 postorbital part of head. Caudal rounded. Scales ctenoid, 

 covered with numerous small tubercles. Lateral line interrupted 

 below last, dorsal scales and continued, two scales lower down, to 

 caudal. Colour of alcohol specimens dark brown, lighter below or 

 silvery below. Young and half grown specimens with trans- 

 verse dark stripes on hinderpart of body and tail and a similar 

 longitudinal stripe running from corner of mouth below eye. 

 A large dark, white edged ocellus at base of caudal and a 

 small one at hindborder of operculum. Sometimes instead of 

 transverse stripes longitudinal ones, following the rows of scales, 

 on hinderpart of body and tail. In fullgrown specimens the 

 stripes disappear and the black blotches are often wanting. 

 Fins brownish or dusky. Length 230 mm. 



