1849] Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. 1 023 



membranes of dorsal, caudal and anal fins greenish buff; the spiny 

 part of the dorsal largely washed with black, the rest with a broad 

 vertical blackish spot, continued over the body, and with two smaller 

 at the posterior margin ; caudal with a vertical blackish band at the 

 root, a second in the middle, a third at the margin ; membrane of 

 pectorals blackish brown ; of anal with a black spot behind the root of 

 the second spine, and an irregular blackish transversal band across the 

 middle, with black spots on the margin ; ventrals uniformly blackish 

 brown. Filaments of the body black with slate grey points ; the two 

 large supraorbital ones olive, largely spotted with black. Iris golden 

 dark olive with five broad radiating black streaks. 



D 12/10, C 13f, A 3/5, V 1/5, P 17, Br. VII. 



Habit. — Sea o/Pinang. 

 Java, Celebes. 



Total length : 7 inch. 



The length of the head is a little less than | of the total ; the eye 

 occupies the second fourth from the muzzle ; the angle of the mouth is 

 situated a little in front of the eye, opposite the lowest of the anterior 

 infraorbital spines, which latter is arched downwards, but has its point 

 directed forwards like the two larger ones. Of the three supraorbital 

 spines the central is the strongest : behind it appears a fleshy pointed 

 filament, in length equalling the diameter of the orbit. 



Smaller filaments are scattered over the body, and a series appears 

 above the lateral line. The second anal spine is the strongest of all, its 

 length equalling that of the anal fin, which is \ of the total length. 

 The band of velvety teeth in the upper jaw is narrowed towards the 

 intermaxillary bones. The reverse is the case in the lower jaw, where 

 the band of teeth is considerably widened on the symphysis. The 

 innermost of the lower maxillary teeth are longer than the rest. The 

 present offers the specific characters of S. picta in having the lowest of 

 the anterior infraorbital spines directed forwards, and the second anal 

 spine excessively large ; but it differs in presenting a long filament 

 above each eye, which did not exist in the specimen described by M. 

 M. Cuvier and Valenciennes. A single individual occurred at Pinang 

 in 1842. 



Gen. Pterois, Cuvier, 1819. 



Differs from Scorpcena in the absence of palatal teeth, and in having 

 the dorsal spines and pectoral rays excessively elongated. 



6 Q 



