FAMILY, I— PERCID^. 91 



Bentex filamentosus, Cut. and Val. vi, p. 244, pi. 155 (not Val. Isles Canar. nor Cantharus filamentosus, 

 Riipp.) 



Nemipterus filamientosus, Swains. Fish, ii, p. 223. 

 .** Synagris luteus, Giinther, Catal. i, p. 380. 

 Synagris macronewms, Giinther, Catal. i, p. 380. 



B. vi, D. V", P. 17, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 17, L. 1. 48, L. tr. 3|/10. 



Length of head 4f , of caudal (without its prolongation) 4f , height of body one-fourth of the total length 

 (excluding the prolonged caudal ray). Eyes — diameter 3 J in length of head, 1 diameiter from end of snout, 

 and 2/3 of a diameter apart. The height of the head equals its length exclusive of the opercle : lower jaw 

 slightly the longer : the maxilla reaches to below the front edge of the orbit. Height of preorbital equals 2/3 

 of the diameter of the eye, it terminates posteriorly in a point below the last third of the eye. Vertical limb 

 of preopercle finely and evenly serrated in its middle third, its angle rounded and entire. Opercle without any 

 distinct spine. Teeth — vUliform along the whole of the upper jaw, with 4 canine-Uke ones anteriorly in either 

 premaxillary, laterally 'the outer row is composed of about 30 closely set conical ones : the inner ones in the 

 mandible are villiform just above the symphysis, whilst laterally they are in two rows of which the inner is 

 slightly the larger. Fms— dorsal spines rather weak, the two first elongated, the second reaching to the base 

 of the caudal fin : interspinous membrane very slightly notched, the height of the last eight spines gradually 

 increases, the last equalling rather more than the length of the postorbital portion of the head but is not so 

 high as the rays. Pectoral as long as the head. Ventral reaches the anal. Third anal sprue the longest, and 

 equalling 1/3 pf the length of the head. Caudal forked, upper lobe with a filamentous prolongation. Scales — 

 extend forwards superiorly to between the eyes. Lateral-lme — the tubes divide posteriorly into two branches. 

 Colours — silvery, with pinkish longitudinal bands : fins pinkish stained with yellow. 



The specimen described and figured is from Sir W. Elliot's Madras collection, the coloured figure is 

 named Dentex striatus C. V. by Jerdon, and is alluded to in M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 134. 



This species, a specimen of which, from Vizagapatam, has been given me by Sir Walter Elliot, cannot be 

 Spondyliosoma guli/ininda (C. V.) Cantor,* Catal. p. 50, which is not Russell's Bpa/rus lama gulvminda:^ Synagris 

 tolu, of which I have both male and female specimens. It is very similar to 8. Japonicus, but (irrespective of 

 the spines being weaker and longer, it has only 9 instead of 10 rows of scales between the lateral-line and the 

 base of the anal fin). I have a male of that species which has no prolongation of the dorsal fin. There are two 

 of Bloch's specimens marked Bentex luteus at Berlin, one evidently the skin from which Bl. Schn.'s figure has 

 been taken, the artist not having reversed it, whilst he has delineated the eye too small, and the (?) elongated 

 dorsal spines are broken. On the second specimen, which has no elongated dorsal spine, is Val.'s label, " C'est 

 le vrai G. lutea, Bl. Schn." Bloch's may be this species, but it has several rows of villiform teeth in the 

 mandibles of about the same size and very similar to 8. Japonicus, which it appears to resemble. This 

 (Synagris striatus) is certainly Jerdon's Bentex striatus. 



Bl. Schn.'s figure is probably coloured from a description in which it was said to have been striated or 

 banded, and instead of placing such longitudinallv he has given them as vertical. 



Habitat. — Coromandel coast of India : the specimen figured was captured November 25th, 1852. ' Bentex 

 filamentosus, C.V., came from Surinam. 



, • 2. Synagris tolu, Plate XXIII, fig. 6. 



Sparus lama guliminda, Russell, Fish. Vizag. ii, p. 6, pi. cvii. 



Bentex tolu, Cuv. and Val. vi, p. 249 ; Bleaker, Spar. p. 13, Atl. Ich. Perc. t. xxvii, fig. i, and Revis. 

 Dentex. p. 20 (not Klunz.) 

 , Cantharus guliminda, Cuv. and Val. vi, p. 344 (not Spondyliosoma guliminda. Cantor.) 

 Oundil, Tam. 



B. vi, D. V, P- 17, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 17, L. 1. 48, L. tr. 3/10, Ceec. pyl. 10-11. 



Length of head 2/9, of pectoral 1/6, of caudal 2/9 to 1/4, height of body 2/9 to 1/4 of the total length. 

 Eyes — transversely oval, diameter 1/3 of length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and 2/3 iapart. Jaws o£ 

 equal length, the maxilla reaches to below the front edge of the orbit. The lower edge of the preorbital 

 obliqnely convex in its posterior half, its height equals half the diameter of the orbit. Preopercle entire, 

 Opercle with a small flattened spine. Teeth — villiform along the whole of the upper jaw, with from 4 to 6 

 canine-Kke ones anteriorly in either premaxillary, laterally the outer row is composed of about 16 closely set 

 pointed ones : the inner ones in the mandible also villiform, opposite the symphysis in several rows, laterally in 

 a single one, the outer row' in front of the lower jaw is rather larger than the villiform ones, but not so large as 

 the outer lateral row which equals those in the side of the upper jaw. Fins — dorsal spines very slender and 

 flexible, the interspinous membrane deeply notched. The spines increase in length to the sixth, seventh, and 

 eighth, which equal two-thirds the height of the body, the last spine equals two-fifths of the height of the body 

 and is of the same length as the last ray : pectoral fin as long as the head excluding the snout : ventral with its 

 outer ray elongated, scarcely reaches so far as the anus : second anal sprue of equal strength to but not so long 



* In Cantor's fish the dentition is slightly different, it has villiform teeth in both jaws, with 5 or 6 small curved canines in the 

 front of the upper jaw, whOst laterally its outer row is slightly enlarged : the canines in iront of the lower jaw are very small, whilst 

 laterally the outer row is scarcely larger thaa the villiform teeth. 



N 2 



