FAMILY, I— PERCnXffi. 43 



Mesoprion Johiii, Cuv. and Val. ii, p. 443 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 13 ; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 200 ; Day, Fish. 

 Malabar, p. 11 ; Kner, Novara Fische, p. 35. 



Mesoprion flavipinnis, Cuv. and Val. ii, p. 475. 



Mesoprion uniinaculatns, Richardson, Ich. China, p. 222 (not Quoy and Gaim.) 



Chemiolay, Mai. : Nya-pd-nee, Burm. 



B. vii, D. TJfi-j, P. 16, V. 1/5, A. T ? T , C. 17, L. 1. 48, L. r. |f, L. tr. 7/13, Caec. pyl. (4 Kner.) 



Length 'of head 4/13 to 2/7, of caudal 1/5 to 2/11, height of body 2/7 of the total length. Eyes— 

 diameter 1/4 to 1/5 or even 1/6 in large specimens of the length of head, 1| to 1| diameters from the end of 

 snout, and from 3/4 to 1 apart. Dorsal profile more convex than that of the abdomen. Preorbital equals three- 

 fourths of the diameter of the orbit in height. The maxilla reaches to below the first third or middle of the 

 orbit. Vertical limb of preopercle finely serrated, becoming more coarsely so at its angle, which is somewhat 

 produced and rounded, its lower limb with a few serrations and crenulations. A very indistinct tuberosity on 

 the interopercle is sometimes present : opercle with two flat points the lower being the longer. The fry up to 

 about If inches in length have a spine at the angle of the preopercle, which becomes absorbed as age advances, 

 the lower limb of the preopercle is also strongly serrated : in a specimen 2\ inches long the spine remains only 

 in the form of a strong denticulation, whilst there are seven more strong serrations along the lower limb. 

 Teeth — curved canines of moderate strength in the premaxillaries, an outer curved row of canine-like teeth in 

 both jaws : villiform ones in a triangular patch or elongated ^-form on the vomer, in a band on the palatines, 

 and in an elongated patch on the tongue hi the adult. Fins — dorsal spines strong, increasing in length to the 

 fourth, which is two-fifths of the height of the body, from this spine they decrease to the last, which is about 

 one-fourth shorter, the soft portion of the fin somewhat rounded, its longest rays equal to five-sixths of the 

 length of its base and exceed that of the highest spine. Pectoral nearly as long as the head : ventral reaches 

 the vent : second anal spine usually slightly the longest and strongest, it equals the height of the third spine of 

 the dorsal, the rayed portion rounded and rather higher than that of the dorsal : caudal slightly emarginate. 

 Scales — the rows above the lateral-line are parallel with the profile of the back, whilst those below it are 

 horizontal. Scales on the dorsal profile only extend forwards to a level with the hind edge of the orbit. 

 Colours— yellowish, lightest on the abdomen, with a large black finger mark, of varying depths of colour, on 

 the lateral-line between the 22nd and 31st scales ; age, season, and locality all exercise an influence on this 

 blotch : a dark line is almost invariably present along each row of scales. Fins yellow dashed with red : anal 

 with a light front edge. 



In the young the ocellus on the side is larger, in a specimen 2| inches long it commences on the 19th 

 scale, and is surrounded by a light ring, thus constituting Serranus pavoninus, Val., whose single specimen was 

 a little over an inch in length : the observation of its having a strong spine at the angle of the " opercle" is 

 evidently a misprint'for "preopercle." 



Hamilton Buchanan points out the affinity of Coius eatus with the Doondiaivah of Russell as well as 

 with his Mungi rmtpudee (No. 110), also that Antkias Johiii, Bloch, is nearly allied. It is readily distinguished 

 from all allied species of Lutianus, with lateral blotches, recorded from the seas of India, by its having no 

 oblique rows of scales on the body, all those above the lateral-line being parallel to the back and those below it 

 being horizontal. 



The type specimen of Mesoprion flavipinnis, C. V. (a skin) belongs to this species, the lateral blotch has 

 been omitted from the short description. 



Habitat. — Seas of India, Malay Archipelago and beyond, attaining a foot or more in length. The 

 specimen figured is 6| inches long and from Madras. 



21. Lutianus gibbus, Plate XIII, fig. 2 (adult) : 3 (young). 



Scimna gibba, Forsk. p. 46. 



Holocentrus boutonensis, Lacep. iv, pp. 331, 367. 

 Lutjanus gibbiis, Bl. Schn. p. 326. 



Diacope coccinea, (Ehren.) Cuv. and Val. ii, p. 437 ; Riipp. N. W. Fische, p. 91, t. 23, f. 3. 

 Diacope gibba,, Cuv. and Val. ii, p. 438 ; Klunz. Fische d. Roth. Meer. Verb. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1870, 

 p. 693. 



Diacope buttonensis, Cuv. and Val. ii, p. 434, and vi, p. 535. 



Diacope borensis, Cuv. and Val. vi, p. 532. 



Diacope tica, Less. Voy. Duperr. Poiss. p. 231, pi. 23. 



Mesoprion bottonensis, Bleeker, Nat. Tyds. Ned. Ind. ii, p. 170; Kner, Nov. Fische, p. 32, f. 6. 



Mesoprion janthinus, Bleeker, 1. c. vi, p. 52. 



Genyoroge gibba, Giinther, Catal. i, p. 180. 



Genyoroge bottonensis, Giinther, 1. c. p. 181. 



Gengoroge melanura, Giinther, 1. c. p. 183. 



Mesoprion borensis, Giinther, 1. c. p. 199. 



Mesoprion gibbus, Giinther, Fische d. Sudsee, p. 12, t. xii, and xhi, f. A. 



B. vii, D. i%, P. 18, V. 1/5, A. T ? T , C. 17, L. 1. 50, L. r. |f , L. tr. 8/23, Case. pyl. 4-5. 



Length of head 3/11, of caudal 1/5, height of body 3/10 of the total length. Eyes— diameter 



G 2 



