HAPLOCHEOMIS. 507 



This fish is so closely allied to the preceding that I cannot think of allowing it 

 generic rank. The essential difference resides in the increased number of dorsal and 

 anal spines, this being due to the transformation of soft rays into spines, an increase in 

 the latter being accompanied by a reduction in the former. But as //. desfontainesi 

 exceptionally possesses four anal spines, just as some specimens of H. alluaudi, even 

 this distinction is not absolutely diagnostic. H. alluaudi further differs in having some 

 of the pharyngeal teeth molariform, with spheroidal crowns. 



5. HAPLOCHROMIS STANLEYI. 



(Plate XC. fig. 5.) 



Boulenger, Ann. & Mag. N. H. (7) xvii. 1906, p. 444. 



Depth of body equal to or a little greater than the length of the head, which is 

 three times in the total length. Upper profile of head straight or slightly concave ; 

 snout as long as the eye, the diameter of which is three and one-third to three and 

 two-fifths times in the length of the head, equals the interorbital width, and is twice 

 or nearly twice as great as the least width of the prseorbital ; lower jaw slightly 

 projecting ; maxillary extending to below the anterior border of the eye ; outer teeth 

 rather large, conical or rather indistinctly bicuspid, 40 to 60 in the upper jaw, followed 

 by two or three series of minute tricuspid teeth ; three series of scales on the cheek, 

 the depth of the scaly part below the eye much less than the diameter of the eye ; 

 large scales on the opercle. Gill-rakers rather long, some T-shaped, 11 to 13 on lower 

 part of anterior arch. Dorsal fin with 14 to 16 spines and 9 or 10 soft rays ; spines 

 equal from the sixth or seventh, or last longest, one-third to half the length of the 

 head ; longest soft ray two-thirds to three-fourths the length of the head. Anal fin with 

 3 spines and 8 or 9 soft rays ; third spine as long as or a little longer than the longest 

 dorsal. Pectoral fin pointed, as long as the head, reaching the origin of the anal. 

 Ventral fin extending beyond the origin of the anal. Caudal fin truncate, or slightly 

 emarginate. Caudal peduncle once and a half to twice as long as deep. Scales 

 strongly denticulate, 30-34 ^^ (six series between the first dorsal spine and the 



19-22 



lateral line) ; lateral lines ^z^. 



The type specimens (males) are reddish brown above, greyish beneath ; throat and 

 opercle blackish ; a V-shaped blackish band, pointing forwards, on the nape ; a blackish 

 Vertical bar below the anterior border of the eye ; ill-defined blackish spots on the side 

 of the body, partly confluent into one or two longitudinal bands ; dorsal grey, anal 

 yellow, both blackish at the base, the latter with two or three large orange ocellar 

 spots encircled with red ; caudal fin greyish, blackish in the middle ; ventral fins 



3t2 



