FAMILY, VII— SCOEP^NID^. 149 



bElow the orbit to tlie angle of the preopercle also spiny, and two more strong spiaes on the lower margin of 

 the prpopercle. Three strong spines on preorbital and a very strong one at shoulder. Two tentacles above the 

 orbit and several more about the head. The maxUla reaches to under the posterior third of the orbit. Teethe 

 viUiform in both jaws, and also on the vomer. Fins— the lower eight rays of the pectoral with free extremities. 

 Dorsal spines strong, increasing in length to the ninth. Second dorsal rather lower than the first. Second anal 

 spine longest and strongest : caudal rounded. Scales—cover the body, the occiput, cheeks and opercles, also 

 the bases of the soft rays of the fins. Lateral-line— in single tubes, with here and there tentacles. Colours — 

 brownish, banded with darker, the first passing downwards through the eye : a large brown spot on opercle : fins 

 irregularly banded in dotted lines. 



Habited. — Ceylon, Andamans, Malay Archipelago. 



Genns, 3— ScoepjinA, Artedi. 



Scorpcenopsis, Heck. ; Neosebastes, Guichenot ; Pseudomonopterus, Bleeker. 



BroMcMostegals seven : pseudohroMcMce. Mead large, with a scaleless groove on the occiput, armed with spines 

 and usually with sJdriny flaps. ViUiform teeth on the jaws, vomer, and palatines. A single dorsal fin deeply notched, 

 dividing the two portions, having twelve spines, and three in the anal, which latter fin is not elongated: pectoral large, 

 without free rays. Ai/r-vessel absent. Pyloric appendages few. 



Geographical distribution. — Tropical seas, also in the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of America. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Scorpcena haplodaCtylus, D. 11 | \, A. f, L. r. 43, L. tr. 6/22. An orbital tentacle. Brownish-black, 

 banded and marbled. Andamans and Malay Archipelago. 



2. Scorpcena armata, D. 11 | i, A. f , L. 1. 36, L. tr. 9/19. No orbital tentacle. Roseate brown, with 

 darker blotches. Bast Indies. 



1. ScorpsBna haplodactylus, Plate XXXVI, fig.' 2. 



Scorpcena aplodactylus, Bleeker, Coram, ii, p. 698. 



Scorpcena haplodactylus, Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 117; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 116. 



B. vii, D. 11 I 1 P. 6+XII, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 15, L. 1. 26, L. r. U, L- tr. 6/22. 



Length of head 1/3, of pectoral 1/4, of caudal 1/7, height of body 3/10 of the total length. Eyes— 

 diameter 1/4 of length of head, 1^ diameters from the end of snout, and 1/2 a diameter apart. Width of 

 - head equals three-fourths of its length. The maxilla reaches to below the centre of the orbit. Interorbital 

 space deeply concave, no groove below the eyes. Two spines on the posterior- superior edge of the orbit, the 

 hiud one of which is furnished with a tentacle. Three strong spines on the occipital and the same number on the 

 temporal ridge, and one intermediate small spine. A strong turbinal spine : a suborbital, spiaate ridge : three 

 strong spines on the vertical limb of the preopercle and two blunt ones along its horizontal border : two strong 

 opercular spines. Several fleshy tentacles about the head. A strong spine above the base of the pectoral fin on the 

 shoulder girdle. Teeth — viUiform in the jaws, in a narrow V-shaped band on the vomer, and a few on the anterior 

 end of the palatines. Fins — dorsal spines increase in length to the fourth, which equals half the height of the body, 

 from it they decrease in length to the eleventh, between which and the next exists a deep notch, the twelfth spine 

 twice as high as the eleventh : soft dorsal slightly higher than the spinous. Pectoral equals the length of the 

 head behind the middle of the eyes, its twelve lower rays unbranched : second anal spine the strongest and 

 longest, equalling half the height of the body : caudal rounded. Scales — on the cheeks, upper and hind edge of 

 the opercles, and .a few fleshy tentacles along the lateral-liae. Colours — brownish-black, banded and marbled 

 with darker : anal having a broad band along its basal half > one vertical band at the base of the caudal, another 

 ■ along its centre, and a dark margin edged with white : dorsal with brown marks. 



Habitat. — Andamans (where the specimen figured life-size was procured) to the Malay Archipelago and 

 beyond. 



2. Scorpaena armata. 



Sauvage, Nouv. Arch, du Museum, p. 49, t. ix, pi. 6, fig. 1. 



B. vii, D. 11 I 1 P. 6+XII, V. 1/5, A. f , C. 13, L. 1. 35, L. tr. 9/19. 



Length of head 4/11, of caudal 2/11, height of body 1/3 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 1/4 of 

 length of head, 1 J diameters from end of snout, and 3/4 of a diameter apart. The maxilla reaches to nearly 

 below the hind edge of the orbit. Interorbital space very concave, with a quadrangular fossa, along which are 

 two low ridges that terminate posteriorly ia two spines : a deep groove below the eyes. Two or three spines 

 along the upper margin of the orbit : a turbinal spine : two strong ones on the preorbital from which a ridge 

 proceeds to a spine in the middle of the vertical border of the preopercle, below which are three smaller ones. 

 Opercle with two spines. Occipital and temporal ridges spinate. Teeth — viUiform in jaws, in a V-shaped band 

 on the vomer, and a large band on the palatines. Fins — ^fiflh dorsal spine rather above half the height of 

 the body : pectorals and ventrals of the same lengthy passing to slightly beyond the anus : third anal spine the 

 longest, exceeding the highest in the dorsal fin : caudal slightly rounded. Scales — over body and head, none 

 between the eyes. Colours — roseate brown, with darker blotches and a few yellowish- white spots : head spotted 

 with black. Fins yellowish-brown, spotted with darker, sometimes forming lines. 



