NO. 1875. THE JAPANESE SPARID^— JORDAN AND THOMPSON. 593 



Head 3^ in length to last vertebra; depth 2 J; eye 4|^ in head ; snout 

 3; maxillary 3^; interorbital space 3; depth of preorbital 5; D. XIV, 

 14; A. Ill, 13; scales in lateral line 62, in transverse series 13 + 22 

 (including 3 smaller rows above and 2 below at insertions of dorsal 

 and anal). 



Snout rounded but moderately; premaxillaries protruding, upper 

 edges on level with nostrils; cleft of mouth strongl}^ oblique; dis- 

 tance from end of maxillaries to vertical margin of preopercle greater 

 than distance from eye to horizontal margin. Flaps of nostrils larg^e, 

 tufted. Profile of snout slightly concave, prefrontals prominent. 

 Teeth in jaws in outer two rows tricuspid, outer largest, an inner 

 broad band of much smaller teeth present. Teeth tipped with a 

 transparent brown. Gill-rakers 20 on lower limb of first arch. 



Dorsal spines short, last longest, 2 J in head; dorsal rays 2| in head, 

 margin of fin not rounded posteriorly. Third anal spine longest 3 



>|s#^r^- 



Fig. 14.— Girella melaotchthts. 



in head; soft anal margin similar to soft dorsal. Caudal deeply 

 emarginate, lobes acute. Ventrals 1^ in head, their spines 2 J. 

 Pectorals 1^ in head. 



Scales ctenoid wherever present. Soft dorspJ and anal scaled on 

 basal halves, and rows extending out along dorsal spines but appar- 

 ently not on anal spines. Scales on head extending to between nos- 

 trils, buried in sldn on upper surface. Lower half of opercle, sub — 

 and interopercle, and lower limb of preopercle naked. Scales on 

 preorbital deeply buried anteriorly. Snout and lower jaw naked. 



Color dark greenish in alcohol, much more so above. Opercular 

 flap deep brown or black, as is a bar across base of pectorals. Fins 

 corresponding in color to their respective parts of body. Peritoneum 

 black. Scale rows unmarked by color pattern. 



This species is not rare in southern Japan. Our specimens are from 

 Wakanoura. It is readily known by the presence of 14 dorsal spines 

 94428°— Proc.N.M.vol.41— 11 38 



