PARATILAPIA. 



335 



times in interorbital width, and not less than depth of prasorbital ; 

 mouth extending to below anterior border of eye ; teeth in 4 to 

 6 series, the outer, in the adult, large, unicuspid, and curved, the 

 others small and all unicuspid or tricuspid, or a part unicuspid and a 

 part tricuspid ; in the young, outer teeth bicuspid, inner tricuspid ; 

 3 to 5 series of scales on the cheek, width of scaly part equal to or a 

 little greater than diameter of eye. Gill-rakers short, largest more or 

 less distinctly T- or anvil-shaped in the adult, 9 or 10 on lower part of 

 anterior arch. Dorsal XV-XVII 8-10 ; spines increasing in length to 

 the last, which measures about ^ to | length of head ; longest soft rays 

 \ to | length of head. Anal III 8-10 ; third spine as long as or a little 

 shorter than last dorsal in the adult, often a little longer in the young. 



Fig. 225. 



Paratilapia serranus. 

 L. Victoria (F. N.). |. 



Pectoral § to nearly once length of head, not extending to vertical of 

 origin of anal. Ventral reaching vent or origin of anal in females, 

 outer soft ray more or less produced in males. Caudal truncate, some- 

 times obliquely and with the lower angle rounded. Caudal peduncle 1 J to 

 2 times as long as deep. Scales feebly denticulate, 33-45 j^j- 5 ; lateral 

 lines fio|. Olive-brown above, yellowish white beneath ; usually two 

 more or less distinct brown or black bands on each side, sometimes 

 broken up, the upper from the nape to the upper side of the caudal 

 peduncle, the lower from the black opercular spot to the root of the 

 caudal fin ; a dark vertical bar may be present below the eye ; young 

 sometimes with ill-defined dark bars across the back ; some males with 

 the belly blackish ; dorsal and caudal fins greyish, often with small 

 round darker spots ; ventral and anal grey or blackish in males, bright 



