FAMILT, I— PEECID^. 29 



are common in the insect boxes sold at Canton." The one figured is from a stuffed specimen in the Liverpool 

 Free Museum, kindly lent me for this purpose by its curator, Mr. Moore. 



Genus, 8 — Lutianus, Block. 



Diaeope and Mesoprion, Cuv. and Val. : Oenyoroge, Cantor : Macolor, Bleeker : Proamblys, Hypoplites, 

 Shomboplites, Ocyv/rus, JE-voplites, amd Tropidvnvus, Gill. 



BrcmeMostegals seven : pseudohranchice. Body oblong, compressed : snout elangated, with the preorbital rather 

 high and entire. Preopercle serrated, with or without a notch on its vertical border to receive a Icnob, which is sometiones 

 developed on the vnteroperole. Opercle rarely with one, more generally with two or three indistinct points. Villiform 

 teeth in both ja/ws : canines in the upper, with smaller ones in the a/nterior portion of the lower ja/w, and laterally 

 a row of cardne-lilce teeth : villiform teeth liJcewise on the vomer, and palate : when present on the tongue minute. 

 Dorsal fm single, with from nine to thirteen spines : anal with three : pectorals pointed : caudal rounded, truncated or 

 emarginate. Scales ctenoid, of moderate or rather small size, one or two enlarged rows over the nape. Pyloric appendages 

 few or absent. Air-vessel simple. 



Geographical distribution. — From the Red Sea and East coast of Africa through the seas of India, the 

 Malay Archipelago, and to the Pacific. 



Uses. — ^As a rule all these fishes are good as food, though some are insipid : a few attain a large size. 

 They are extensively salted and dried in many localities. 



Amongst the Imtiani exist variations which require notice. Thus in some, when immature (as observed 

 in a few Serrani), a spine exists at the angle of the preopercle _: as age advances it is gradually absorbed, although 

 occasionally in the adult coarse serrations may indicate its prior existence. Instead of one there may be several 

 spinate denticulationa at this spot in the fry, which alsp disappear, as in the case of the single spine. The 

 interopercular knob, in those species which possess one (^Genus Diacope, Cuv. and Val., or Oenyoroge, Cantor.) 

 appears in two distinct modes — either as well formed from birth with a notch in the vertical border of the 

 preopercle — or else the knob is gradually formed, and as it increases in size it presses against the vertical border 

 of the preopercle causing absorption at the spot above it and thus creates a notch. Respecting the dorsal spines, 

 it has been remarked of the Serrami that one ray may occasionally assume the form of a spiae, thus changing the 

 specific number (by the addition of one spine and the diminution of one ray) but this seems to be rather rare 

 am.ongst the Indian Imtiani in which, although the spines may be increased, the rays are not usually diminished 

 in number : an increase in the number of the rays is, however, of more frequent occurrence than in the spines. 



In colouring there is one subject that requires farther examination, and that is the lateral blotch : in 

 those species in which it is present, it is sometimes most decided in the young, but whether it frequently exists 

 in some specimens and is absent in others remains to be solved. That it disappears if the fresh specimen is 

 left soaking in water is evident : that it sometimes is all but lost in those kept in spirit is also apparent, but the 

 similarity of Lutianus marginatus without a lateral blotch to specimens in which it is present is so great, that I 

 cannot separate them into distinct species ; the same fact has been observed by Bleeker, in L. Bengalensis 

 and Amboinensis. It is not a little remarkable that this mark is of a deep black colour on the Malabar 

 coast, in L. marginatus; but much less apparent in specimens captured on the Coromandel coast, where 

 also those of an identical size without any such blotch are numerous. Age then cannot be the sole cause, which 

 may be sought for in locality and sex (provided they are the same species). 



SYNOPSIS OP SPECIES. 



1. LutianMS Sebce, D. y^-Vg-, A-, -^.^-y, L. r. ff, L. tr. 9/22. Interopercular knob present, no lingual teeth. 

 Scales in oblique rows. Reddish* with three curved black bands. Red Sea, seas of India, to the Malay 

 Archipelago, and beyond. 



2. Lutianus Malabaricus, D. H, A. f, L. r. f f, L. tr. 9/23. No interopercular 'knob. No lingual teeth. 

 Scales in oblique rows above the lateral line. A violet-purple band on the back, along the base of the dorsal 

 fin. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago^ 



3. Lutianus em/thropterus, D. ri-Tt^ ^- h L. r. -ja, L. tr. 11-12/25. No interopercular knob. No lingual 

 teeth. Scales in oblique rows. Red with marks varying with- age. Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay 

 Archipelago, and beyond. 



4. Lutianus dodecacamiJms, D. y^.V*, A. f , L. r. fa, L. tr. 8/23. No interopercular knob. No lingual 

 teeth. Scales in oblique rows above the lateral-line. Scarlet. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



5. Lutiamis Bengalensis, D. y^.V^, A. |, L. r. |f:|f , L. tr. 7-8/18. An interopercular knob. No lingual 

 teeth. Scales in oblique rows above the lateral-line, superiorly reachiag to above the front edge of the eye. 

 Four blue bands from the eye along the sides. Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



6. LutioMus fuhus, D. H, A. f, L. r. H, L. tr. 9/21. An interopercular knob. No lingual teeth. 

 Scales in oblique rows above the lateral-line. Yellowish-red. Andamans, Otaheite. 



7. LatioMus biguttatus, D. yJ.Vs , A. f , L. r. |^, L. tr. 6/16. A smaU interopercular knob. Lingual teeth. 

 Scales in oblique rows above the lateral-line. Olive with two milk-white spots on the back. Seas of India, 

 to the Malay Archipelago. 



* It is curious that from this as well as from some other species of red LuMam, as L. erythropterus, L. dodecaamthus, and even 

 Odontmeetes mnialo. the body colour has stained the cloth in which my-specimens were enveloped whilst in spirit coming from India. In 

 Bome white carps on the other hand, as BarhiS fllamentosus, and B. aruVms the fish turns of a bright red after death, whether placed in 

 spirit or skinned and stuffed, this colour being persistent except to incipient putrefaction, soaking in water or weak spirit and breaching. 



