10 ACANTHOPTERTGn. 



Uses. Good as food, but coarse wlien very large. Isinglass is obtairied from their air-vessels, but the 

 amount is not very great. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Sermwus Stoliczhm, D. |i, A. y?^-, L. r. \%%, L. tr. 14/40. Preopercle emarginate, and its vertical 

 border serrated. Caudal rounded. Reddish, with four vertical bands on the body : head and anterior half of 

 body spotted with red, or reddish yellow. Coasts of Siad and Aden. 



2. Serromm areolatus, D. Tf-Trg, A. f, L. r. 105, L. tr. 19/47. Preopercle slightly emarginate : vertical 

 limb serrated, having coarser teeth at its angle. Caudal emarginate.' Reddish-brown, with hexagonal markings 

 over the head, body, and fins, which latter have dark margins edged with white. From Aden throughout the 

 seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



3. Serrawus Wacmdersi, D. \^, A. f, L. r. ff^, L. tr. 25/56. Upper two thirds of body, dorsal fin, and 

 upper third of caudal covered with hexagonal or rounded blotches. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



4. Serranus Uneatus, D., t^-Vs-j -^- t-ti L. r. f|f , L. tr. 28/48. Csec. pyl. above 50. Preopercle with 

 several denticulations at the angle, rather well developed. Caudal rounded. Brown, with four, five, or more 

 blue longitudinal bands. India and China, attaining at least four feet in length. 



5. Serranus merra, D. i^_Vtj -^- h L. r. ^, L. tr. 16/32. Preopercle rounded, its vertical margin 

 serrated, most coarsely at its angle. Pectoral fim as long as the head : caudal rounded. Reddish-brown 

 everywhere covered with large brown spots. 



6. Serranus hexagonatus, D. yi-Vri -^- h ^- ^- W) L. tr. 13/16. Csec. pyl. 32. Preopercle with strongest 

 serrations at the angle. Caudal rounded. Brown, covered with large hexagonal, or rounded spots. Red Sea, 

 Bast coast of Africa, seas of India, Malay Archipelago to the Pacific. 



7. Serranus maculatus, D. W, A. f, L. r. '^■^, L. tr. 20/45. Preopercle rounded, vertical limb serrated, 

 and mpst coarsely at its rather produced angle. Second, and third dorsal spines as long as the post-orbital 

 portion of the head, and longer than the rays. Deep grey with round black spots on the head and some of the 

 fins, becoming oval in the anterior half of the body, and rather sinuous on its posterior half. Coromandel coast 

 of India, and the Andaman islands. 



8. Serranus fla/vo-cceruleus, D. t^-Vd -A., f , L. r. -^-f-a, L. tr. 22/. Serrations on preopercle weak, strongest 

 at its angle. Caudal slightly emarginate. Purplish-blue, tail and fins gamboge-yeUow, ventral and anal with 

 black tips. Prom the Bast coast of Africa throughout the seas of India. 



9. Serranus faseiatus, D. ^, A. f, L. r. |-f. Preopercle rather strongly serrated, most so at its angle. 

 Caudal rounded. Reddish or yellowish with indistinct vertical bands : dorsal, and caudal fins may be black 

 edged. Prom the Red Sea, through those of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



10. Serramus tumilahris, D. ii, A. ^, Lj r. |-|, L. tr. 21/. Preopercle serrated. Caudal rounded. 

 Greyish-olive, darkest along the back. Body, and head covered with irregularly-sized pearly- white spots, whilst 

 a black line exists on the maxilla. Fins dark grey, externally nearly black; the margins of the pectoral, 

 ventral, soft dorsal, and caudal have' a very narrow white border. The whole of the dorsal fin with white spots, 

 as on the body. Bast coast of Africa, seas of India, and Burma, to the Malay Archipelago. 



11. Serranus diacanthus, D. -rr-il-, A. g-?^, L. r. 5^°, L. tr. 20/45. Caec. pyl. 11. Preopercle with strong 

 teeth at its angle. Pinkish-brown on the back, rose coloured on the abdomen. Six vertical dark bands, the first 

 on the head. Fins with dark margins. Found throughout the seas of India to Java. Is very common in Sind, 

 and specimens reach 18 inches or more in length. 



12. Serranus sexfasciatus, D. W, A. f. Two spinate teeth at the angle of the preopercle. Brownish, 

 - with six vertical bands, and some irregular spots on the body. Dorsal, caudal, and anal yellow with black spots. 



Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



13. Serrawus loMceolatus, D. Ti-hsj ^- h ^- r. Vo") ^- *!"• 20/52. Csecal pylori numerous, but very 

 short. When young it is gamboge yellow, with five blackish-blue cross bands. Fins yeUow with black bands 

 and spots. As it becomes adult the bands become broken up into irregular markings, and the yeUow colour 

 disappears, except from the fins, in which the black becomes also broken up into black spots. East coast of 

 Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. Very numerous at Kurrachee : it attains a large size. 



14. Serranus erythrurus, D. -U., A. f. Preopercular border rounded, and finely serrated in its vertical 

 portion. Fins rounded. Head, and back greenish shot with red ; under surface of the body silvery. Dorsal 

 greenish ; pectorals, ventrals, and anal yellowish ; tail, and free portion of caudal reddish. Specimen 8 inches 

 in length, but said to attain 4 feet. Malabar. • 



15. Serrawus Malabarious, D. rf-Vn -f ■ h I^- r. VVS I'- tr. 19/50. Csec. pyl. 50-60. "Vertical limb of 

 preopercle serrated, strongest at the angle. Fins rounded. Brownish, with about eight cross bands the first 

 over the head, the second over the nape. Head, and body covered with large round yellow spots, that usually 

 become brown in dead specimens ; yeUow spots also on the dorsal fin, which sometimes coalesce and form bands. 

 East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Philippines. It attains a very large size. 



16. Serrawus corallicola, D. -j-J-Ve; -^-'1. L. r. ff. Greyish-brown with black spots. Madras to the 

 Malay Archipelago. 



17. Serramis salmoides, D. ^^.V^, A. |, L. r. i^», L. tr. 24/50. Vertical limb of preopercle serrated, 

 with three or four coarse teeth at the angle. Fins rounded. Brownish yeUow : body, and fins entirely covered 

 with black, or yellow spots. From the Red Sea, through the seas of India, to the Malay Archipelago. 



