1024 Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. [Oct. 



Pterois miles, (Bennett.) 



Scorpsena miles, Bennett : Ceylon, PI. 9. 



Pterois muricata, Cuv. and Val.* IV. 363. 



Macrochyrusf miles, Swainson II. 264. 



Adult. Ground colour of head and body, impure rose- or flesh-colour, 

 the scales edged with lighter or darker reddish brown, so as to produce 

 a net-work ; sides of the head and body with oblique and vertical scarlet 

 bands, the number and breadth varying individually : across the hindhead 

 two or three such, and between the eyes a longitudiual scarlet band ; be- 

 hind the point of the opercle a triangular black spot ; lips, throat and 

 abdomen reddish white ; dorsal spines scarlet, broadly annulated with 

 black, or white ; their membrane scarlet, in some with the pointed 

 portion attached to each spine, black, or with a triangular black spot 

 near the base ; dorsal, caudal and anal rays and membranes scarlet ; 

 anal spines scarlet, their membrane reddish black ; pectoral rays scar- 

 let, more or less annulated with black ; base of the pectoral scarlet, con- 

 tinued over the root in the shape of three oblique bands ; membrane 

 brownish green or bronze, with a black streak along each ray ; ventral 

 spine alternately white and scarlet; membrane pale blackish green, 

 with longitudinal series of black and milky spots between and across 

 the rays ; posterior half of the membrane black ; a scarlet spot inside 

 the root of each pectoral. Supraorbital fleshy filaments black ; those 

 of the upper jaw and preopercle white with scarlet points. Iris silvery 

 white, with four or five scarlet or reddish black radiating bars. 



Young. Colours distributed as in the adult ; the scarlet paler ; pec- 

 toral fins uniformly greenish black. 



D 13/11, C 144, A 3/7, V 1/5, P 12 or 13, Br. VII. 



* Although this Vol. bears 1829 on the title-page, the description quotes 5. 

 miles, Bennett, in Fishes of Ceylon, the first edition of which appeared in 1830. 

 However this may be, M. M. Cuvier and Valenciennes in quoting Bennett, admit 

 the priority of his description and figure, and his specific denomination must 

 therefore be retained. 



f Macrochyrus, Swainson, founded on Scorpana miles, Bennett, is characterised 

 as having "the pectoral fins only one-third as long as the body, and the mouth 

 sub vertical." Both characters however, are incorrect ; the pectorals in every stage 

 of growth much exceed one-third of the body (total length ?), and the mouth opens 

 obliquely as in Pterois. 



