NO. 1875. THE JAPANESE SPARID.E— JORDAN AND THOMPSON. 597 



specimen, as stated above, possessed higher spines by a half than is 

 given by any descriptions and figures or is show^i by our small 

 specimen from Calayan (3 in head). The same is true of the soft 

 dorsal. 



(cinerascens, becoming ashen.) 



8. Family ERYTHRICHTHYID^. 



Sparoid fishes with the body spindle-shaped and the mouth tooth- 

 less or with small deciduous teethi Body elongate, not much com- 

 pressed, covered with moderate, ciliated scales; head scaly, except 

 the tip of snout; premaxillaries excessively protractile, the spines 

 extending to the occiput, maxillary rather broad, slipping under the 

 preorbital; lower jaw projecting; no teeth on palate; lower pharyn- 

 geals with cardiform teeth; preopercle entire or wdth flat thin serrae; 

 opercle ending in a flat point. Dorsal fins separate with free spines 

 between, the fii-st with slender spines, the number about 15; soft 

 dorsal moderate, low, naked, with a sheath of scales at base, both dor- 

 sal and anal with the last ray produced ; anal with three small spines 

 and about nine rays. Caudal widely forked. Pyloris caeca few. 

 This family, provisionally adopted, contains but few species, all 

 of them fishes of rather deep water, of bright colors and active 

 movements, their relationships uncertain. They have much in com- 

 mon with ApJiareus among the Lutianidse. They have also qualities 

 in common with the Gerridi^. Jordan and Evermann associated 

 them with the European genera Merolepis Rafinesque {=Mxna 

 Cuvier), and Spicara, to form a family JMsenidse. This name Msenidae 

 is not eligible, and Erythrichthys has little in common with Meroleins 

 save the protractile mouth. Besides Erytlirichihys, the genera 

 Dipterygonotus and Inermia in this family are probably valid. 



20. Genus ERYTHRICHTHYS Temminck and Schlegel. 



Erythrichthys Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, p. 117, 1845 {schlegeU). 

 lEmmelicMhys Richardson, Voyage Erebus and Terror, 1846, p. 47 (nitidus). 

 "iBoxaodon Guichenot in Gay, Histoire de Chile, vol. 2, 1847, p. 208 (cyanescens). 



Type. — Erythrichtliys schlegeU (Bleeker) . 



This genus has the maxillary veiy broad and scaly, and the pre- 

 opercular angle nearly a right angle. Wliether the same is true of the 

 other (nominal) genera of this group we do not know. The allied 

 genus Dipterygonotus Bleeker is said to have the maxillary naked. 



In Inermia the maxillary is narrow. 



{kpudpbg, red; cxOoc, fish.) 



