51 2 SBALE. 



rays white and a white spot near middle of fin. Anal is dusky at base, 

 broadly margined with white, with some dusky blotches at tip. Ventrals 

 black, with a wliite spot on anterior ray. Pectorals black with white tips. 



Color in alcohol similar to above, except that the orange fades into a 

 light brown, the black margins to the white areas remain yery distinct. 



Type is Xo. 4760 from Sitanki Island, Jolo Archipelago, 15 July, 

 1908; length, 40 millimeters; also a specimen Xo. 169.^ from Caga- 

 yan, Mindanao. 



Family THEBAPONID.l^l The Grunts. 



Dentex filiformis Seale, sp. nov. Plate IX. 



Head 3.7.5; depth 4.15; dorsal X, 9; anal III, - ; scales 3-47-16; eye 

 3 in head; snout 3.10; interorbital space equal to eye; maxillary 3; 

 mandible 2M5; peciorals 1.35 in head; ventrals 1.30; depth of caudal 

 peduncle 3. 



Body moderately elongate, oblong, compressed, of about equal depth at 

 origin of pectorals and at anal pore; least depth of caudal peduncle 3 

 in head. 



Head somewhat conical, the profile from nape to snout evenly curved, 

 the interorbital space is moderately convex. Greatest width of head 

 1.85 in its length. Snout rounded, its width at anterior nostril equal 

 to its length; jaws equal, the upper moderately protractile, each jaw 

 with a rather wide fold or lip. Maxillary fully hidden except at its tip, 

 premaxillary scarcely reaching to eye, preorbital notched at angle of jaiv, 

 its width at this point equal to pupil, no spine on its posterior margin. 

 Lower jaw with two distinct pores on each side, mouth wide, slightly 

 oblique. Curved canines in each jaw, with patches of inner villiform 

 teeth anteriorly, the fourth anterior canine of upper jaw largest. Xo 

 teeth on vomer, palatine, or tongue. Preopercle fully serrated, opercle 

 with a single rather distinct spine ; five rows of large scales on cheeks. 

 Head, except snout, preorbital, and under jaw, fully scaled. Gill 

 opening wide, being carried forward to a line with middle of eye. Gill 

 rakers consisting of short, thick asperites, ahout 4 on lower limb. 

 Pseudobranchia present. Eyes quite large. 



Scales small and ctenoid, the rows running horizontally on upper third 

 of fish and obliquely below, body fully scaled; five distinct lows of scales 

 on cheeks with the addition of a few scattered scales at margin of orbit. 



Dorsal fin continuous, the spines weak, the fourth and fifth spines the 

 longest, 2.50 in head, the longest ray 1.95 in head, the &i is provided 

 .with a distinct groove into which it fits, its origin is directly above the 

 axil of pectoral. Origin of anal on a line with base of second dorsal 

 ray and is midway between end of caudal vertebra and origin of ventrals, 

 the anal spines are graduated, the third being 3.75 in head, longest ray 

 2.75, base of fin 1.90 in head. Origin of ventrals slightly nearer tip of 



