578 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol 41. 



A. Ill, 8; scales in lateral line 53-54; in transverse series 8/1/13 

 (or 14?). 



Interorbital space flat from side to side, posterior to it a prominent 

 ridge rises along the midline of the occiput to the insertion of the 

 dorsal, formed on the head by the supraoccipital crest. Profile of the 

 head ascending less rapidly than in Pagrosomus major and Evynnis 

 cardinalis. Maxillary ending before the middle of the eye. Molar 

 teeth small, in two rows in both jaws, canines in the premaxillaries 

 as in Pagrosomus major and Evynnis cardinalis. 



Third, or third and fourth, dorsal spines slightly exceed half the 

 head length, in one case contained If, in another li^ in the head. 

 Second dorsal spine equals or is somewhat less in length than the 

 eyes, and is contained 1| to 1-^ times in the height of the third spine. 

 Second anal spine is somewhat longer than the third. 



Color of ventrals gray in distal half; dorsal with gray-brown spots 

 here and there, especially on the soft portion. 



According to Doderlein this species difi"ers from Pagrosomus major 

 in the more elongated body, the larger eyes, and the lesser number of 

 scales along the lateral line. Kishinouye notes that he considers the 

 presence of this species in Japanese waters ''ambiguous," as he is 

 unable to find any specimens to correspond to this description, 

 Doderlein had two specimens to which he applied this name, the one 

 described being 133 mm, long. The differences given do not warrant 

 a division^ One of our specimens of Pagrosom,us major has 55 scales 

 in the lateral line, yet differs in no other way from the typical 

 specimens. 



Pagrosomus major is the common red '^Tai^' or "Almdai" of. the 

 markets of Japan. It is everywhere very abundant to the southward 

 of Tokyo. Its flesh is excellent, firm, and white. It is in a way the 

 national emblem of Japan. It is the fish borne in all pictures of the 

 fishery god Ebisu, and luck comes to the fisherman with the red Tai 

 or porgy. 



We saw this species at Aomori, Misaki, Tokyo, Wakanoura, and 

 Nagasaki. 



{major, larger.) 



26. PAGROSOMUS AURATUS (Forster). 

 The Snapper of the Australian Seas. 



Labrus auratus {Scisena aurata Forster) Bloch and Schneider, Syst. Ichth., 



1801, p. 266 (Queen Charlottes Sound). 

 Scixna aurata Forster, Descr. Anim., Ed. Lichtenetein, 1844, p. 307, Bame 



specimen. 

 Pagrosomus auratus Gill, Mem. Nat. Acad. Sci., vol. 6, 1893, p. 97, and of Stead 



and other Australian ichthyologists. 

 Sparosomus auratus Gill, Mem. Nat. Acad. Sci., vol. 6, 1893, pp. 116, 123. 

 Chrysophrys unicolor Quoy and Gaimard, Voy. VUranie, 1824, p. 229 ("Baie des 



Chiens Marins," Dick Hartog Island, Australia). 



