136 ACAXTHOPTERTGn. 



deep emargmation. Teeth— ioxa large and strong canines in either upper ja.vr, and the same number in the 

 lower, the outer of which are the largest, in the adult all the lateral row of teeth in the upper jaw with rounded 

 crowns, increasing in size to the last but two ; in the lower jaw the first five of the teeth are more or less conical 

 and rounded, whilst those behind have rounded crowns widest transversely except the last two. In younger 

 specimens the posterior teeth are not so rounded, f'ms— dorsal spines of moderate strength increasing in 

 length to the third, which equals rather more than U diameters of the orbit m height and scarcely so long as 

 the longest ray, it is longer than the fourth. Pectoral nearly as long as the head : ventral reaches the vent : 

 second anal spine rather strongest but not so long as the third, which equals the length of the second of the 

 dorsal fin, and is nearly as high as the rays, the longest of which does not equal that of the base of the soft 

 portion of the fin : caudal emarginate. Scales— 5^ or 4 entire and 2 half rows between the lateral-Une and the 

 base of the spinous dorsal fin. Colours — oHvaceous-brown becoming lighter on the abdomen, the centre of each 

 scale having a cobalt-blue spot forming longitudinal lines in the direction of the rows of scales, in some 

 specimens there are intermediate yellow bands : inside of mouth orange : pectoral flesh-coloured, base of its 

 second ray bright blue : dorsal, caudal and anal slate-coloured, margined with orange, and having a line of spots 

 along the centre of the rays ; ventral externally slate-coloured. In most adult specimens a feint quadrangular 

 spot is seen between the lateral-line and the middle of the pectoral fin and indistinct vertical bands. In some 

 the edge of the opercle, sub-opercle and branchiostegous rays is of a blood-red colour, but this colour is 

 likewise seen in some specimens of Jl. nehulosus. 



Mabitat. — ^Red Sea, seas of India : the specimen figured was captured at Madras in June, 1867, and is 

 16 inches in length. 



4. Lethrinus nebulosus, Plate Xxxill, fig. 4. 



ScicBna nebulosa, Forsk. p. 52. 



Lethrinus nehulosus, Cuv. and Val. vi, p. 284; Riipp. N. W. Pische, p. 118; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 460; 

 Klunz. Fische d. Roth. Meer. Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1870, p. 86. 



B. vi, D. V", P- 13, V. 1/5, A. I, C. 17, L. 1. 46-48, L. tr. 6/16. 



Length of head 3/11 to 2/7, of caudal 1/6 to 2/11, height of body 3/11 to 2/7 of the total length. Eyes— 

 diameter 1/4 to 2/9 of length of head, 2 to 2\ diameters from end of snout, and 1 apart. Height of the head 

 rather less than its length. Interorbital space nearly flat, dorsal profile not much elevated. The maxQla, 

 2f in the length of the head, reaches to beneath the front nostril. Numerous fine open pores on the lower 

 surface of the mandibles, and even on to the cheeks in the adult. Preopercle moderately oblique : opercle with 

 two blunt points, separated by a shallow emargination. Teeth — four rather small canines in the front pf either 

 jaw, the first three of the lateral teeth in the upper jaw rather conical, the remainder with globular crowns, not 

 wider transversely than in their antero-posterior diameter : the first six or seven lateral teeth in the lower jaw 

 rather conical, the remainder with globular crowns and rather larger than in the upper jaw. JFnis— dorsal 

 spines of moderate strength, increasing in length to the fourth w^hich equals rather more than IJ- diameters of 

 orbit in height, and is about equal to the longest ray. Pectoral nearly as long as the head : ventral reaches the 

 anus : second anal spine nearly one-fourth shorter than the third which is nearly as long as the third of the 

 dorsal fin, and as high as the anal rays, the highest of which last equals the length of the bases of the rays : 

 caudal forked, lobes pointed. Scales — the row containing the lateral-line rather smaller than the one above or 

 below it : five entire and two half rows between the lateral-line and base of the dorsal fin. Pree portion of the 

 tail about as long as high at its base. Colours — a blue, black-edged baud passes from the eye to the posterior 

 nostril, a second to the angle of the mouth : another blue Hne exists below the eye : preopercle spotted with 

 blue. Inside of the mouth orange : opercular membrane yellow, sometimes blood-red. Body oKvaceons, 

 becoming lighter on the abdomen : scales orange along their centres, and every other row spotted with blue at 

 its base : in some specimens faint vertical bands are perceptible, and a darkish blotch between the pectoral fin 

 and the lateral-line, whilst the rows of scales below the pectoral have a narrow dark line along their centres. A 

 large specimen had a cobalt blue band over the last half of the eye, whilst the last row of occipital scales was of 

 the same colour : upper surface of the head tinged with blue. Dorsal, caudal and anal slate-coloured, the 

 dorsal edged with reddish, and having two rows of blue spots : faint lines along the soft dorsal and anal, the 

 caudal with narrow blue transverse bars : upper pectoral ray blue in its basal half. 



The specimen figured was captured at Aden : my longest specimen is from Sind, and l&i inches in 

 length. 



Lethrinus centurio* C.Y. has the height of the body about 1/3 of the total length. Eijes — ^in the 

 commencement of the last half of the head, 2j diameters from end of snout, and 1| apart. Height of head 

 1/4 more than its length. 



Habitat. — Red Sea and the seas of India : very common at Madras. 



5. Lethrinus opercularis. 



Cuv. and Yal. vi, p. 289 : Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen. xxiii, Spar. p. 14, Revis. Leth. p. 20 : Giinther, 

 Catal. i, p. 463. 



? Lethrinus geniguttatus, Cuv. and Val. vi, p. 304. 



* Lethrinus centiwrio, C.V. Ti, p. 301 j Peters, Wieg. Arch. 1855, p. 243. 

 Lethrinus esculentus, C.V. vi, pi. 158. 



