FAMILY, I— PERCID^. 31 



Diaeope SehoB, Cuv. and Val. ii, p. 411 ; Klimz. Fische Roth. Meer. Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien. 1870, p. 692. 

 Biacope Siamensis, Cuv. and Val. vi, p. 624. 



Mesoprion Sebce, Bleeker, Perc. p. 45 ; Kner. Novara Fische. p. 30. 

 Gewyoroge sebce, Giintlier, Catal. p. 176. 

 Lutjcmus Sebce, Bleeker, Siam. p. 173, and Lutjani, p. 63. 

 Veri-oid-ta-lay , or Nai-kerrucM, " smelling like a dog," Tarn. 



B. vii, D. yf W. P- 1?, V. 1/5, A. 7_^, 0. 17, L. 1. 50-56, L. r. |f, L. tr. 9/22 : Caec. pyl. 4-6, 

 Vert. 10/14. 



Length of kead 4/13 to 2/7, of caudal 1/6, height of body 2/6 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 2/7 

 of length of head, Ij diameters from end of snout, and 2/3 of a diameter apart. The distance from the eye to the 

 upper edge of the maxilla equals one-fourth of the diameter of the orbit. The maxilla reaches to below the middle 

 of the eye. Both the vertical and horizontal limbs of the preopercle serrated, the former having a deep emargination 

 in the adult to receive a well developed interopercular knob which in the young is not so distinct. Teeth — 

 canines in the premaxillaries, an outer row of curved canine-like teeth in the jaws : villiform in a ^-shape in the 

 vomer, and in a band on the palate, none on the tongue. Fins — third dorsal spine the longest, rather above half 

 the length of the head, from thence they decrease to the last but one : soft portion of the fin and also of the 

 anal, elevated and pointed, much higher than long at its base. Pectoral nearly as long as the head. Third anal 

 spine somewhat the longest and nearly equal to the post-orbital portion of the head. Scales — ^in oblique rows 

 above the lateral-line and horizontal ones below it : superiorly they reach to above the hind edge of the orbit : 

 caudal emarginate. Golcmrs — ^reddish, a black band passes from before the dorsal fin, through the eye to the 

 snout : a second from the second to the sixth dorsal spines to the ventral fin : a third from the soft dorsal, 

 curving downwards to the lower half of the caudal : ventrals and lower half of anal black. 



Bleeker observes that he possesses a very young specimen (35'" long) in which the soft dorsal and anal 

 are more rounded, and in colour it appears as if it were brownish, traversed by two narrow white bands. 



Habitat. — From the Red Sea, and East coast of Africa, through the seas of India to the Malay 

 Archipelago. Longest specimen captured at Madras 8 inches. 



2. Lutianus Malabaricus, Plate IX, fig. 4. 

 Sparus Malabaricus, Bl. Schn. p. 278. 

 Mesoprion Malaba/riaus, Cuv. and Val. ii, p. 480. 



Mesoprion Malabaricus, Bleeker, Sumatra, iii, p. 3, and Giinther, Catal: i, p. 204 (not synonym.) 

 Lutjamis Malabaricus, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. Perc. t. xv, fig. 1, and Lutjani, p. 50 (not synonym.) 



B. vii, D. ii, P. 17, V. 1/6, A. f, C. 17, L. 1. 55, L. r. ff , L. tr. 9/23. 



Length of head 2/7, of caudal nearly 1/6, height of body 4/11 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 1/4 

 of length of head, 1^ diameters from the end of snout, and 3/4 of a diameter apart. Form of the body not so 

 compressed as in L. erythropterus, its width being equal to two-fifths its height : a slight concavity over the 

 orbits : lower jaw the longer : height of preorbital equals 4/6 of diameter of eye. The maxiUa reaches to below 

 the first third of the orbit. Preopercle with a very shallow emargination on its vertical border which is finely 

 serrated ; at its angle the serrations become larger, whilst four or five of diminished size exist along the 

 posterior half of the lower limb. Teeth — two or three rather strong curved canines on either side of the 

 premaxillaries ; an outer row of curved conical canine-like teeth in either jaw : villiform ones in a 7\ -shape oh 

 the vomer, a broad band on the palatines, none on the tongue. Fins — dorsal spines moderately strong, from the 

 third they are of about equal length but shorter than the rays, the third spine equals about one-third of the length 

 of the head ; the last spine equals one diameter of the orbit : the seventh or eighth ray is the longest, and equals 

 four-fifths of the extent of the base of the fin, soft dorsal and anal both somewhat angularly rounded and of the 

 same height. Pectoral longer than the ventral, almost as long as the head and reaching to above the anal 

 spines : second and third anal spines of about equal strength, the latter slightly the longer and nearly equalling 

 the third of the dorsal fin : the fourth ray is the longest, slightly exceeding the highest in the dorsal fin : caudal 

 slightly emarginate. Scales — rows not tortuous, those above the lateral-line oblique, as are also those below it 

 above the level of the lower edge of the orbit, below which they are horizontal : two broad rows over the nape, 

 and eight across the cheek : they extend along the back as far as to a level with the hind edge of the eye. 

 Colours — ^having a roseate tinge in life with narrow oblique yellow streaks above the lateral-line, and longitudinal 

 ones below it : a longitudinal violet-purple band passes from behind the eye along the base of the dorsal fin 

 opposite the end of which it is interrupted by a light band over the commencement of the tail, subsequently it 

 reappears in a lighter form across the middle of the free portion of the tail. Fins reddish, the dorsal and caudal 

 with a fine black edge : anal spines dark grey, those of ventrals white. 



Schneider's type specimen is still in good preservation at Berlin, and identical with the one figured which 

 I took (a little over 8 inches in length) ofi" the Meckran coast. It is closely allied to L. erythropterus ; but the 

 dorsal spines are much lower, the eye and the colours &c. differ. 



Valenciennes remarks that as Bloch received his specimen from the Coromandel coast of India it is 

 difficult to perceive why Schneider gave to it the term MalabaHcus. The reason is that Tranquebar (from 

 whence it came) and the southern portions of the Coromandel coast were then termed ' Malabar,' and to this 

 day the natives of Madras call those residing to the south ' Malabars.' , 



Habitat. — Coasts of Sind and India. 



