156 ACAITTHOPTERTGII. 



two-thirds of the diameter of the orbit in length, five more blnnt ones along its angle and lower edge : opercle with 

 two spines : occipital and temporal ridges sharp but not spinate. M-vilMomim jaws vomer and palate. 

 J-t^-second and third dorsal spines the longest and about equal to two-thirds the height of the body, longer ^so 

 than the rays : soft portion of the dorsal fin not joined to the caudal : pectoral as long as the head excluding the 

 snout, all the rays branched : ventral reaches the anus : third anal spme considerably the longest and equal m. 

 length to the highest in the dorsal fin : caudal sUghtly rounded. ScaZes-distinct. none on the head^ '^f^'''^ 

 vhSdsh, with irTegular markings over the head, the cheeks being barred with pmkish and brow vertical bands: 

 three or four bafiy defined vertical bars on the body, the last being over the base of the caudal fin: a vertical 

 brown band over the last third of caudal fin, and the posterior third of the anal banded : ventral nearly black 

 in its last half. 



Habitat.— Ma.dia.s, the specimen figured is 2| inches long. 



Genus, 8 — Gymnapistus, Swains. 



Apistus, sp. Guv. and Val. : Trichosomus* sp. Swainson : Prosopodasys, Giinther. 



Branchiostegals dx. Head and tody somewhat compressed: no groove across the occiput. PreorUtal amd 

 preopercle with strong, sharp spines : opercle armed. VilUform teeth in jaws, voni&r and palate. Borsal fin formed 

 of two portions, the first of three spines which are connected by membrane with the second paH, the spines in greater 

 number than the rays : three amal spines, pectoral vnthout amy free rays at its base : articxdated fin-rays branched. 

 Scales rudimentary or absent. 



Geographical distribution.— Sea,s of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



SYNOPSIS OP SPECIES. 



1. Gymnapistus niger, D. 3 | '"J", A. f. Scales absent. Nearly black. Seas of India to the Malay 

 Archipelago. 



2. Gymnapistus draccena, D. 3 | |, A. -j?-^-. Scales rudimentary. Greyish-brown, with a black blotch on 

 the dorsal fin between the third and seventh spines : other fins marked with black. Seas of India. 



1. Gymnapistus niger, Plate XXXVII, fig. 5. 



Apistus niger, Cuv. and Val. iv, p. 415. 

 fjymnapi-stes niger, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 266. 

 Prosopodasys niger, Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 141. 

 Pom-tho-cho-rogue-dah, Audam.. 



B. vi, D. 3 I »-J°> P- 10> V. 1/5, A. A C. 9. 



Length of head 3/10, of caudal 2/9, height of body 1/3 of the total length. JEJ^es— diameter 1/4 of 

 length of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and 3/4 of a diameter apart. Mouth obUque, lower jaw very 

 slightly the longer ; the maxilla reaches to below the last third of the orbit. PreorbitaJ with a very strong 

 sharp spine reaching to beyond the hind edge of the orbit. Preopercle with a sharp spine, as long as one 

 diameter of the orbit, about the middle of its vertical border, vrith three obtuse ones below it and two along its 

 horizontal limb, Interorbital space slightly concave. Teeth — ^villiform in jaws, vomer and palate. Fina — ^the 

 first dorsal commences over the hind third of the orbit, the interspinous membrane of the two fins continuous, 

 the second spine is two-thirds as high as the body and there is a short interspace between the two fins : the 

 rayed portion is of equal height with the second part of the spinous, a membraneous prolongation goes from 

 the end of the fin nearly to the base of the caudal. Pectoral, which is 1/4 of the total length, reaches to above 

 the anus, but the ventral does not extend quite so far : third anal spine longer but weaker than the second : 

 caudal cut square. All the articulated fin-rays branched at their extremities. S'ioles — absent except in the 

 form of roughnesses here and there in the skin. Colours — brownish-black, caudal yellowish- white, striated with 

 brown and having a dark band in its last fourth and a white external edge. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago : very numerous at the Andamans where the specimen 

 (figured life-size) was captured. The natives assert that wounds from its spines are exceedingly venomous. 



2. Gymnapistus dracsena, Plate XXXYin, fig. 1. 

 Apistus d/racaetia, Cuv. and Val. iv, p. 403. 



Apistus Belengeri, Cuv. and Val. iv, p. 412 ; Belenger, Voy. Ind. Orient, p. 349. 

 TrichosomMS draco^na, Swainson, Pishes, ii, p. 265. 



Prosopodasys draccena, Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 140 ; Day, Fishes of Malabar, p. 42. 

 Tetraroge Belengeri, Day, Fish. Malabar, p. 41. 



B. vi, D. 3 1 r-h P- 13, V. 1/5, A J^, C. 13. 



Length of head 2/7, of caudal 1/4, height of body 1/3 of the total length. %es— diameter 1/4 of length 

 of head, 3/4 of a diameter from end of snout, and 2/3 of a diameter apart. "Width of head equals its length 

 behind the orbit. The maxiUa reaches to below the first third of the orbit : lower jaw the longer and having a 

 tubercle at the symphysis. Preorbital with a strong sharp spine dii-ected backwards, three-fourths of the orbit 



* Preoccupied ty Trichosoma, Rud. Vermes, 1819, also (Bamh.) Boisdm. Lepidop. 1834, 



