NO. 1875. THE JAPANESE SPARID.E— JORDAN AND THOMPSON. 545 



somewhat falcate, long, nearlj^ equal to head, ventrals IJ m head. 

 Caudal margin deeply concave, its angles sharp, its length slightly 

 less than head. 



Scales present everywhere, save on soft dorsal and anal, which are 

 deeply sheathed, and on lips; a patch of scales on exposed portion 

 of maxillary. Rows on body very oblique. 



Color in spirits: adults nearly plain dark above, clearer below, 

 with narrow stripes of darker following rows of scales, especially 

 below lateral line. In young, three narrow clear lines as wide as 

 pupil, cutting dark above axis of body; the second running from 

 upper edge of eye along lateral line to upper part of caudal, the first 

 running parallel, about midway to mid-dorsal line of body; the third 

 from the point of opercle to middle of caudal sometimes merged into 

 clear ventral color. These lines may persist in adults to some degree. 

 Fins nearly as dark as body; dorsals edged with black. Peritoneum, 

 gill, and mouth cavities clear. The body lines are variable according 

 to preservation, and much less distinct with age. In life, dark gray, 

 with dark streaks along the rows of scales; yellow shades on back, 

 head, and the lower fins; dorsal spines yellow; caudal blackish. The 

 yellow streaks distinct in the young, vanishing in the adult. 



This species, known everywhere as "Isahi," is one of the common 

 food fishes of Japan, taken daily at every port south of Tokyo. It 

 was seen at Tokyo, Misaki, Enoshima, Wakanoara, and Nagasaki. 



{trilineatus, marked with three lines.) 



8. Genus PLECTORHYNCHUS Lacepede. 



Plectorhynchus Lacepede, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. 3, 1801, p. 135 (chxtodonoides). 

 Les Diagrammes Cuvier, Regne Animal, vol. 1, 1817, p. 280 (diagramma) . 

 Diagramma Oken, Isis, 1817, p. 1783 {diagramma). 

 Spilotichthjs Fowler, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1904, p. 528 (radjabon). 



Type. — Plectorhynchus chxtodonoides Lacepede. 



Body oblong, compressed, the upper outline parabolic. Mouth 

 small, horizontal, the jaws with villiform teeth. Preopercle serrate; 

 suborbitals without spines or serrse; branchiostegals 6 or 7. Chin 

 with pores, but with no central groove and with no barbels. One 

 dorsal fin with 9 to 12 stout spines. Soft parts of vertical fins scaly 

 at base. Anal spmes 3. Caudal forked or emarginate. Snout and 

 jaws not scaly. Scales small. Air bladder simple. 



Species numerous, of the tropical Pacific. We here exclude the 

 genus or subgenus Euelatichthys Fowler {affinis) with large scales and 

 14 dorsal spines. 



{KXeKxbg, joined together: poyxoc, snout.) 



Key to species. 



(?!. Diagramma. Dorsal rays about IX or X, 22; scales email, about 95 below 

 lateral line; color dark, with white stripes, broken into spots and highly varie- 

 gated in the young -.-r , ....,.,.,,... pidus, 11. 



94428°— Proc.N.M.vol.41— 11 35 



