528 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 4*1. 



3. Genus PRIACANTHUS (Cuvier) Oken. 



Les Priacanthes Cuvier, Regne Animal, 1817, p. 281 (macrophthalmus). 

 Priacanthus Oken, Isis, 1817, p. 1783 (same type). 



Type. — Anihias macro'pTithalmus Bloch ( = Sci8ena hamrur'FoTskkl). 



Scales very small, 80 to 100 in the lateral line; body oblong, more 

 than twice as long as deep ; preopercle with a spine at angle ; interor- 

 bital area externally transversely convex, the cranium itself trans- 

 versely concave, the elevation being formed of flesh; a conspicuous 

 foramen in the interorbital area; lateral line extending upward and 

 backward from upper angle of gill opening tow^ard second dorsal spine, 

 below which it changes its course, following outhne of back to end of 

 dorsal fin, thence direct to middle of caudal; anal fin rather long, its 

 rays about III, 14; dorsal rays about X, 14. Species rather numer- 

 ous in the tropical seas. 



{Tip'iojv, saw; aKavOa, spine; some of the fin spines being serrated.) 



Key to genera. 



a^. Scales in transverse series above lateral line 9 to 11; posterior nostrils not widely 



open; tenth dorsal spine not more than twice length of second, not three-fifths 



of head; scales 97-100; anterior margin of preopercle covered with scales. 



^ Dorsal rays X, 14 or 15; anal rays III, 14 or 15; depth of body about equal to 



head; preopercular spine weak and lobes of caudal slightly produced in adult. 



hamrur, 3. 

 6 2. Dorsal rays X, 12 or 13; anal rays 111, 12 to 14; depth greater than head; pre- 

 opercular spine strong; lobes of caudal not produced in adult . . . maeracanihus, 4. 

 a 2. Scales in transverse series above lateral line 20 to 22; posterior nostrils widely 

 open; tenth dorsal spine more than twice length of second, at least three-fifths 

 of head; dorsal rays X, 12; anal rays 111, 12; scales 87 to 93; anterior margin of 

 preopercle not covered, serrated japonicus, 5. 



PRIACANTHUS HAMRUR (Forskal). 



BAKAKINME (fool gold eye). 



Scisena hamrur ForskAl, Descr. Anim., 1775, p. 45 (Djidda, Red Sea). 



Anthias hamrur Bloch and Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 1801, p. 307 (after Forskal). 



Lutjanus hamrur Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. 4, 1802, pp. 178 and 209. 



Priacanthus hamrur Cuvier and Valenciennes, Hist. Nat Poiss., vol. 3, 1829, p. 

 104 (Lohaia).— RiJPPELL, N. W. Fische, 1835, p. 95 (Red Sea).— Gxjnther, Cat. 

 Fish. Brit. Mus., vol. 1, 1859, p. 219 (Red Sea).— Klunzinger, Syn. 

 Fische Roth. Meer., Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, vol. 20, 1870, p. 708 (part).— 

 Bleeker, Ned. Tijd. Dierk, vol. 4, 1873, p. 176 (Java, Sumatra, Batu. 

 Celebes, Sangi, Ternate, Batjan, Buro, Amboyna) (part); Atlas Ichth., 

 vol. 7, 1876, p. 13, pi. 353, fig. 3 (after Ned. Tijd. Dierk, vol. 4).— Stein- 

 dachner and Doderlein Beitr. Fische Japan's I, Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. 

 Wien, vol. 47, 1883, p. 239 (Tokyo).— Klunzinger, Fische Roth. Meer., 

 1884, p. 17.— Day, Fauna India, Fish. vol. 1, 1889, p. 482.— ?Sauvage,. Poiss. 

 Madag., 1891, p. 125 (Amboyna). — Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, 

 vol. 7, 1883, p. 235 (New Guinea). — Jordan and Snyder, Check List, Ann. 

 Zool. Jap., vol. 3, pts. 2 and 3, 1901, p. 83. — Seale, Fishes South Pacific, 

 Bishop Mus., vol. 4, No. 1, 1906, p. 38, fig. 12 (Shortland Island, Solomons).— 

 Jordan and Seale, Fishes Samoa, Bull. U. S. Bur. Fish., vol. 25 (1905), 



