FAMILY, IX— BERTCID^. 173 



Holocentrum spvnosissimvm, Elct. Ich. China, p. 223 (not Tem. and ScUeg.). 



Holocentrvm rubrwm, Gunther, Catal. i, p. 35, and Garrett, Fisclie d. Sudsee, p. 96 ; Day, Fist. Malabar, 

 p, 1 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 7 ; Playfair, Fish. Zanz. p. 52 ; Klunz. Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1870 v 722 • 

 Bleeker, Revis. Hoi. 1871, p. 27. . . f > 



Oul-hah-catchee, Tam. 



B. viii, D. 11 1 12-13, P. 15, V. 1/7, A. a, C. 19, L. 1. 35-39, L. tr. 3/6|, Ceec. pyl. 20, Vert. 11/16. 



Length of bead 2/7 to 3|, of caudal 2/13, height of body 3f to 3| in the total length. %es— diameter 

 2/7 to 2f in the length of head, 2/3 of a diameter from the end of snout, 3/4 of a diameter apart, the width of 

 the interorbital space equalling from 2/7 to 1/4 of the length of the head. The maxilla reaches to below the 

 centre of the orbit. The posterior process of the premaxillary shorter than the diameter of the eye. Upper 

 surface of the head roughened with sinuous lines which posteriorly end in spinate points. Suborbital ring of 

 bones narrow, fluted and serrated in their whole extent. Preopercle likewise fluted along its vertical limb, 

 having a strong spine as long as the orbit at its angle and serrated along both limbs. Opercle evenly fluted, 

 armed with two spines (the lower being the shorter) and its outer edge strongly serrated : sub- and inter- 

 opercles fluted and denticulated : shoulder-bones denticulated. Snout with two sharp nipple-shaped spines on 

 the preorbital and iutermediate serrations : no spines at nostrUs. Teeth — vUbform. Fim — dorsal spines stroiig, 

 the third to the fifth the longest, the third equalling half the height of the body, but not so hjgh as the soft 

 portion of the fin. Pectoral reaches to the twelfth scale of the lateral-liue, and the ventral three-fourths of 

 the way to the anus. Third anal spine very strong, its height equalling about 2/3 of the height of the body, 

 whilst it is 2/9 to 1/5 longer than the fourth spine. Caudal forked. Scales — six or seven rows between the 

 occiput and the base of the first dorsal fin : seven rows along the preopercle. Colours — in the young silvery • 

 white with longitudinal dull rosy bands from the opercles, the second and third coalesciag. In the adult it is 

 red with seven or eight silvery bands. Head more or less rosy as are also the fins. Occasionally there is a 

 httle dark aboilt the latter. 



In the Fishes of Zanzibar, " Var. b, has a large black blotch at the base of the soft dorsal and anal, a 

 third at the root of the caudal, and a fourth at the axU of the pectoral. This is clearly identical with that 

 described by Bleeker as H. melanospilos. These varieties are structurally identical, and the difference in 

 coloration is probably a sexual one ; one specimen of Yar. b proved to be a male fish, at or near spawning time." 

 (p. 52). 



Respecting colour, the one I have figured, destitute of any black, was a male. Jerdon's specimen {sem- 

 pooram, Tam.) has a black spot at the base of both soft dorsal and anal fins, and a third above the superior 

 opercular spine, whilst the margin of the preopercle is dark-edged ; it has no vestige of a spine inside the nostril, 

 as exists in Holocentrum mela/nospilus, Bleeker. 



Habitat. — Red Sea, East coast of Africa, through the seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



5. Holocentrum sammara. 

 ScicBna samma/ra, Forsk. p. 48 ; Lacep. iv, p. 314. 

 Perca sammara, Bl. Schn. p. 89. 

 Labrus a/ngulosus, Lacep. iii, p. 430, t. xxii, f. 1. 

 Holocentrus samimara, Riipp. Atl. Fische, p. 85, t. xxii, f. 3. 



Holocentrum sammara, Cuv. and Val. iii, p. 216 ; Bleeker, Perc. p. 33, Amb. p. 555, and Revis. Holoc. 

 p. 16 ; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 46 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 9 ; Klunz. Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1870, p. 720. 

 Holocentrum OhristiamMm, (Ehren.) Cuv. and Val. iii, p. 219. 

 .'' Holocentrum Iceve, Giinther, Catal. i, p. 47. 

 Holocentrwin TtiMticwm, Kner, Novara Fische, p. 9, t. i, f. 2. 



B. viii, D. 10 I yyly^, p. 14, V. 1/7, A. -j^, 0. 19, L. 1. 39-40, L. tr. 3/7, Vert. 11/16. 



Length of head 3| to 3|, of caudal 1/5, height of body 3^ to 1/4 of the total length. Hyes — diameter 

 2f to 1/3 in the length of head, 2/3 of a diameter frota end of snout, and also apart, the interorbital space 

 being equal to 3| to 1/4 of the length of the head. The height of the head equals its length excluding the 

 snout : its width equals half its length. The lower jaw the longer : the maxilla reaches to below the middle 

 of the eye. Both limbs of the preopercle serrated in their entire extent, the length of the preopercular spine 

 equals about 1/3 of the diameter of the orbit. The external edges of all the opercles more or less serrated : 

 two spines on the opercle, the upper of which is as large as the preopercular one, the lower rather smaller. 

 Preorbital denticulations strong : suborbital likewise serrated. No spine at nostrils nor at the end of the snout. 

 Shoulder-bone striated and serrated. Teetli — vUliform. Fins — ^the dorsal spines from the second to the fourth 

 are of about the same height and equal to If in that of the body, subsequently they decrease to the tenth which 

 is one-fourth of their height : interspinous membrane deeply emarginate : second dorsal idghest anteriorly and 

 rather higher than the highest dorsal spine. Pectoral nearly equals the head excluding the snout. Ventral 

 reaches half way to the anal. Third anal spine strongest and longest, equalling from ^ to 4j in the total 

 length. Caudal forked. Scales — six to seven rows between the occiput and the base of the dorsal fin : seven 

 along the preopercle. Colours — body with or without longitudinal violet bands, which may be composed of 

 spots. A black spot may be present on either cheek. Usually a black spot between the first four dorsal spines, 

 and sometimes a light mark between the bases of each spine. Anterior edge of soft dorsal and anal, also 

 usually upper assS lower edge of caudal, violet. 



Habitat. — Red Sea, East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



