A COLLECTION OF -FLSHES FROM SUMATRA. 549 



above and below so as to form vertical bars. Side of head with seven brown dark- 

 edged oblique bars extending backward below and behind eye. Snout more or less 

 marbled with brown. Soft dorsal with three series of blackish-brown sjjots, one 

 along base of fin, another median, and last submarginal. Anal with a single 

 median series of round dusky spots extending longitudinally. Caudal with median 

 rays whitish, marked with a number of round blackish spots, upper and lower 

 edges of fin dusky. Pectoral and ventral dilute brown. Iris pale brownish. Peri- 

 toneum silvery-white. 



Length 6 inches. 



Type No. 27,780, A. N. S. P. Padang. 



One example. This species is somewhat related to Parapercis hexophialma 

 (Cuvier)', but is easily distinguished by its coloration. 



{Aler, dark ; macula, spot.) 



SILLAGINIDiE. 



231. SiLLAGO siHAMA (Forskal). 



MALACANTHIDiK. 



232. Malacanthus URicurHYS sp. nov. Plate X\'I, lower figure. 



Head 3^; depth 6; D. 48; A. 38; P. i, 15; V. i, 5 ; scales 128 in lateral 

 line, last six on base of caudal ; about 11 scales - between origin of dorsal and lateral 

 line, and about 25 between latter and origin of anal ; width of head 24 in its length ; 

 depth of head, at posterior margin of eye, 2 ; snout 2J- ; eye G-J ; mouth 4 ; maxil- 

 lary 3^; mandible 'I'i; interorbital space 3i; least depth of caudal peduncle o-^; 

 caudal 2^ ; pectoral 1-^r ; ventral 3-J^. 



Body long, slender, compressed, and greatest depth at anterior pectoral region. 

 Caudal peduncle compressed, and about as long as deep. 



Head long, rather broad above, its sides well compressed, and pointed in front. 

 Snout long, profile straight, its upper surface convex and upper jaw well produced 

 in front. Eye circular, high, and a little, posterior. Mouth terminally superior, 

 lower jaw projecting a little in front, and maxillary reaching about opposite 

 anterior nostril. Lips large, thick, fleshy, and plicate. Teeth fine, pointed, and 

 in bands in jaws. Nostrils well separated, anterior a small pore about an eye- 

 diameter directly in fi'ont of eye, and posterior similar, on lower edge of a small 

 pit midway between. Interorbital space broad, slightly elevated above eye, and 

 flattened. Opercle with short strong flattened spine. 



Gill-opening extending forward a little in front of posterior edge of preopercle. 

 Rakers 1 + 5 rudiments. Filaments about two-thirds of orbit. Pseudobranchia? a 

 trifle over half of orbit. Membrane forming a broad thick fold over wide isthmus. 



Scales small and mostly finely ctenoid. Cheek, postocular region, opercle, 

 especially above, occiput, back above and anteriorly, and chest, covered with 

 elongate cycloid scales. Scales on abdomen and upper pectoral region rounded and 



' Ehrenberg, in Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Poiss., Ill, 1829, p. 202. 



- Not evident iu my figure on account of the broad flattened back at this point. 



