280 ACANTHOPTERTGn. 



SYNOPSIS or INDrVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Pegasus draconis, D. 5, A. 5. Lateral edges of snout serrated. Body with brown marking ; snout and 

 last caudal rings black : pectoral with a white band and white edge. 



1. Pegasus draconis, Plate LXI, fig. 1. 



Pisciculus Amboinensis, Gronov. Mns. Ich. i, p. 65, No. 146. 



Pegasus draconis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 418 ; Bloch, t. 109, figs. 1 and 2 ; Lacep. ii, pp. 77, 78, pi. 2, f. 3 ; 

 Ganther, Catal. viii, p. 147. 



Pegasus volans, Lacep. ii, p. 83; Bleeker, Nat. Tyds. Ned. Ind. ui, p. 307. 



.*" Pegasus latirostris, Richards. Ich. China, p. 203. 



Gataphraetus draco, Gronov. ed. Gray, p. 344. 



Pegasus draco, Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 332 ; Kaup. Lopho. p. 5, and P. natans, pi. i, f. 3 ; Jerdon, 

 il. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 160 ; Giinther, Fish. Zanz. p 138. 



B. i, D. 5, P. 11, V. 2, A. 5, C. 8. 



Body broad and depressed. Dyes — 2^^ diameters from end of snout, and 2 apart. Interorbital space 

 ti-ansversely concave, two deep grooves on the neck. Under surface of body nearly flat, the expanded body 

 portion with two median and two lateral ridges, whilst there are three cross ridges : at the meeting points of 

 the various ridges are obtuse points. Caudal portion composed of eight rings, most of the anterior five of 

 which have a lateral spinate elevation. Lateral edges of snout denticulated : a serrated ridge runs along the 

 upper edge of orbit, and is continued along the snout to its end. Fins — pectorals horizontal, the anterior 

 rays the shortest, aU the fin rays simple. Vent situated midway behind the posterior edge of the orbit and the 

 root of the caudal fin. Colours — ^body with brown reticulations, snout and last caudal ring black. Pectoral 

 gray, with its rays spotted, having a white outer edge and sometimes a white band. 



Richardson observes that P. latirostris, has the form of draco, but the back is nearly as broad as 

 it is long. 



My single specimen was taken at Port Blair by Dr. Rean. I never captured one alive, although 

 several times at the Audamans I observed them skimming a short distance above the surface of the water. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. Specimen figured life-size. 



