48 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



to below the front edge of tlie orbit ; jaws of equal length in front. Vertical limb of preopercle with a shallow 

 emargination, having fine: serrations which are lost at the angle : a slight intcropereular knob. Teeth — one or 

 two large curved canines in the premaxillaries, and an external row of curved canine-like teeth in the upper jaw, 

 rather larger ones, less curved and wider apart in the lower jaw : villiform ones in a ^-shaped band in the vomer, 

 an elongated one on the palatines, but none on the tongue. Fins — third to fifth dorsal spines the longest, nearly 

 equal to the length of the postorbital portion of the head and two-fifths the height of the body, posteriorly they 

 decrease to the last : soft portion of the fin rounded and lower than the spinous, its longest ray equal to one half 

 the length of its base. Pectoral as long as the head behind the anterior nostril, or even longer in some specimens : 

 ventral reaches two-thirds of the distance to the anal. Second anal spine the strongest, usually not quite so long 

 as the third which equals one diameter and a quarter of the eye in length, its first rays highest, its lower margin 

 rounded : caudal forked, upper lobe the longer. Scales — in oblique rows above the lateral-line, and in horizontal 

 ones below it : they extend forwards to above the hind edge of the orbit : seven or eight rows across the cheeks. 

 Colours — whitish, with six longitudinal black bands along the body, and six badly marked short vertical ones in 

 its upper third, descending from the base of the dorsal fin, the crossing of these two sets of bands leaves large 

 uncovered whitish spots of ground colour ; a deep black spot at the root of the caudal fin. A white band across 

 the occiput, which is continued on to the preopercle. Pins greyish, anal with a white front edge. 



Edbitat. — Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, and beyond. The one figured (9| inches long) is from 

 ;the . Andamans, where it is a very common species and readily captured with a bait. 



Third group — Priacanthina. 

 Lower jaw prominent. Cleft of mouth almost vertical. Scales ctenoid, small. Csecal appendages few. 



Genus, 9 — Priacanthus, Cuv. and Val. 



BrancMostegals six : pseudobranclme. Body oolong and somewhat elevated. Byes large. Lower jaw 

 prominent. Preopercle serrated on both limbs as well as on the angle which is produced into a flattened spine-like 

 point: operate with a point. Teeth villiform in the jaws, vomer, and palate, none on the tongue. A single dorsal fin, 

 with nine to ten spines ; anal with three. Scales small and ctenoid, extended on to the snout. 



Geographical distribution. — Tropical seas. They do not appear to be very common in India, none 

 have been seen by me in the fresh state : Russell does not figure any. Amongst Sir Walter Elliot's drawings 

 named by Jerdon are two of this Genus : the first appears to be P. Blochii.: the second termed Priacanthtis 

 Tie-waie has D. -^a, A. ^-, and is of the same shape but of a much lighter colour : the ventral fin is spotted with 

 brown, whilst there are two or more large blackish-brown blotches between the inner rays and the body : the 

 length of the longest figure is 4| inches. 



SYNOPSIS OP INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Priacanthus Blochii. D. £§-, A. -^. Light lake red, the vertical and ventral fins with a narrow black 

 edge. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. 



1. Priacanthus Blochii, Plate VIII, fig. 2. 



Anthias macrophthalmns, Bl. vi, p. 115, t. 319 ; Bl. Schn. p. 304. 



Priacanthus Blochii, Bleeker, Nat. Tyds. Ned. Ind. iv, p. 456 ; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 218.. 



B. vi,D. yJ.a^, P. 18, V. 1/5, A. &, G. 17, L. r. 110-120. 



Length of head 3/11, of caudal 2/13, height of body 3/11 of the total length. Eyes — large, in the middle 

 of the length of the head, 1/2 a diameter from the end of snout and the same distance from the posterior end of 

 the opercle. Lower jaw strongly prominent. The angle of the preopercle provided with a strong spinate 

 point, it and the vertical as well as the horizontal edges of the preopercle serrated : preorbital also serrated along 

 both its upper and lower borders. The maxilla reaches to almost below the first third of the orbit. Teeth — 

 villiform in the jaws, vomer, and palate. Fins — dorsal spines of moderate strength, increasing in length to the 

 last, which however is not quite so long as the rays ; the first few are roughened anteriorly. Pectoral short, 

 equalling two-fifths of the height of the body: ventral spine serrated on both edges: anal spines serrated 

 anteriorly, the third being the longest : caudal cut square. Colours — of a light lake-red, all the vertical as well 

 as the ventral fins having a narrow black border. 



Amongst Sir W. Elliot's drawings is one named Priacanthus ? Pasooioa which appears to be this species 

 from Madras : it wants however the black edge to the fins, which also is very slightly apparent in Bloch's 

 specimen. Jerdon remarks, (M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 131.) " Priacanthus. I possess drawings of apparently 

 two species of this genus. The one is entirely of a fine red colour, and was named Pasuwa, Tarn. The other is 

 reddish above, white on the sides, and the ventral fins spotted with dusky : D. -L2-, A. -3^-, it was named Kewai." 



Habitat. — Red Sea, East coast of Africa, seas of India, to the Malay Archipelago. The figure is from a 

 specimen in the British Museum collection, 8\ inches in length. 



