42 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Lutjanus Russellii, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. Perc. t. xxii. f. 2, and Lutjani, p. 76. 

 Lutjamis unimaoulatus, Vaillant, Soc. Phil. Paris, May 23rd, 1874. 

 Lutjanus fidviflamma, Bleeker, Halmah. p. 155, Lutjani, p. 61. 

 Vella-chembolay, Mai. ; Shemhara and Currumay, Tarn. 



B. vii, D. JL P. 16, V. 1/5, A. I-, C. 17, L. 1. 50-54, L. r. ■^.% T , L. tr. 7-8/16, Ckc. pyl. 4-6. 



Length of liead 2/7, of caudal 1/5, height of body 1/3 to 2/7 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 2/7 to 

 1/4 of length of head, 3/4 to 1|- diameters from end of snout, and 3/4 of a diameter apart. Snout rather 

 pointed, the maxilla reaches to below the first third of the orbit : height from the eye to the upper edge of the 

 maxilla equal to two-thirds of the diameter of the orbit. Vertical limb of preopercle with a shallow emargi- 

 nation, its angle rather produced, and its lower limb oblique, the whole being finely serrated, most coarsely so at 

 its angle, whilst the serrations are continued half way along the vertical limb. No interopercular knob : two 

 opercular points. Teeth — strong curved canines in the premaxillaries, an outer row of curved, conical, canine- 

 like teeth in both jaws, largest in the lower : villiform teeth in a A-shape or T-shape on the vomer, in a band 

 on the palatines, and an oblong patch on the tongue (in the adult) which is widest anteriorly. Fins — dorsal 

 spines not very strong, the third of nearly the same height as the fourth and fifth, from whence they gradually 

 decrease, the third is one-third higher than the rays and from two-fifths to half as long as the head : rayed, 

 portion rounded, two-thirds as high as its base is long. Pectoral as long as the head behind the front nostril : 

 ventral not reaching the vent. Third anal spine about equal in strength but slightly shorter than the second, 

 which equals one diameter and a quarter of the eye in length, and is of equal length with the first ray, which 

 is twice as long as the last, lower edge of the fin concave : caudal slightly emarginate. Scales — in oblique rows 

 above the lateral-line and horizontal ones below it : from six to eight rows on the cheeks : superiorly they 

 extend forwards to above the hind edge of the eye. Colours — yellow or rosy along the back, with three or four, 

 in the variety L. Russellii* narrow and brilliant golden bands passing obliquely upwards and backwards from 

 the lateral-line, and three or four similar golden bands below it, the first of which goes from the posterior edge 

 of the orbit to the finger mark : the second from the middle of the opercle to opposite the end of the soft 

 dorsal, where it becomes lost on the lateral-line : the third from below the orbit to the base of the caudal fin : 

 and the fourth from below the base of the pectoral to the base of the anal. A large black blotch exists on the 

 lateral-line opposite the commencement of the soft dorsal fin from the 22nd to the 28th or 31st scales, most of 

 it being below the line and only reaching to one or two scales above it : in the variety L. Russellii, however, this 

 mark is mostly above the lateral-line. 



The type specimen of Mesoprion monostigma at Paris is 3y-Q inches in length. The eye is a little less 

 than 1/3 of the length of the head, and 1 diameter from the end of the snout. The second anal spine is of 

 nearly the same length as the third and equal to 2| in the length of the head.f 



The Lutianus fidviflamma is found in two very distinct varieties : in one there are the yellow lines such 

 as I have described and also figured (in pi. xii, fig. 6), and in this form, L. Russellii, the distance from the eye 

 to the snout and the size of the lateral blotch is a little more than we perceive it to be in the typical L. fulvi- 

 flamma, of which I have also given a figure (pi. xii, fig. 5.) The two specimens were 7\ and 10 inches 

 respectively in length, and, examined together, certainly appear to be distinct species : but in comparing a large 

 number of specimens, every intermediate variety in form and colour (except the yellow fillets of the L. Russellii) 

 are to be seen. 



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



20. Lutianus Johnii, Plate XIII, fig. 1. 



AntMas Johnii, Bloch, t. 318 ; Bloch, Schneid. p: 303. 



Lutjanus Johnii, Lacep. iv, p. 235; Bleeker, Lutjani, p. 20; Vaillant, Soc. Phil, de Paris, May, 1874. 



Sparus doondiaivah, Russell, i, p. 76, pi. 97. 



Coius catus, Ham. Buch. pp. 90, 369, pi. 38, f. 30. 



Sparus Malabaricus, Shaw, Zool. iv, p. 471. 



Serranus pavoninus, (young) Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 443 ; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 126. 



* In a specimen of this fish (var. Russellii) at l^y inches long, not only are the vertical and horizontal limbs of the preopercle 

 serrated, but the bone has the appearance of a double edge as seen in Ambassis and Apogon, having a few serrations upon it. The 

 interopercle is likewise serrated in its last half. 



t The following lengths of the 3rd anal spine have been carefully made from 10 specimens: 



Inches. 

 L. fulviflamma (Russellii), Length of specimen 5£ : Length of anal spine 



33 33 » 33 "* » >, 



33 33 ') » " 33 33 



33 33 33 33 10 „ „ 



33 33 33 33 'D n „ 



33 • 33 ;3 ' a* 33 » 



33 • 33 33 ° 33 J» 



3> " 3) 33 12 „ „ 



33 • „ „ 13 „ „ 



»» ' 33 33 15 „ ,, 



2\ in 



the len 



gth of head. 



2i 



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3* 



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2| 



u 



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4* 



jj 



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it 



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