FAMILY, I— PEECID^l. 



63 



the scales having minute black dots, forming horizontal lines, which are most distinct along the back : the 

 scales in the second and third rows having a pearly white spot at the base of each. Upper half of the first 

 dorsal black : second dorsal and caudal with black edges. A moderately wide band along the middle of the 

 second dorsal, which appears to be sometimes spotted with blue. 



Habitat. — Madras to 3f inches in length, as far as the Malay Archipelago. 



15. Apogon auritus, Plate XVII, fig. 2. 



Apogon auritus, Cuv. and Val. vii, p. 443 ; Giinther, Fische d. Sudsee, p. 23. 



Apogon punctulatus, Riippell, N.W. Fische, p. 88, t. xxii, f. 4 ; Bleeker, Ceram. p. 696. 



Apogonichthys polystigma, Bleeker, Amboina, p. 484, and Ternate, p. 372; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 24G. 



Apogonichthys punctulatus, Bleeker, Arou, p. 36. 



Apogonichthys auritus, Giinther, Catal. i, p. 246 ; Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 682. 



Amia polystigma, Bleeker, Apogonini, p. 67. 



B. vii, D. 7/i P. 12, V. 1/5, A. T ? ¥ , C. 17, L. 1. 23-24, L. tr. 2/6. 



Length of head 1/3, of caudal 2/9, height of body 2/7 to 1/4 of the total length. Eyes— diameter 1/3 to 2/7 

 of the length of head, 1/2 to 1/3 of a diameter from end of snout, and also apart. Jaws of about equal length : 

 the maxilla reaches to slightly behind the posterior edge of the orbit. Edges of preopercle, also of the other 

 bones of the head and shoulder entire. Teeth — villiform in the jaws, vomer, and palate. Fins — first dorsal spine 

 very short, the third and fourth the highest, eqnal to the length of the postorbital portion of the head, and 

 three-fourths as high as the rayed fin. Pectoral as long as the postorbital portion of the head. Ventral 

 reaches two-thirds of the way to the anal, the second spine of which last fin is equal to two-fifths of the height 

 of the body. Caudal rounded or cut rather square. Lateral-line — either ceases under the middle of the soft 

 dorsal fin, or reappears lower down going direct to the centre of the base of the caudal fin : tubes distinct, 

 generally with a basal swelling. Colours — body and head spotted and marbled all over with brown. A circular 

 black spot on the opercle enclosed by a narrow white ring, which is present even in the fry. 



Bleeker observes that he formerly considered this species as identical with A. punctulatus, Riippell= 

 A. auritus, C. V. the interrupted lateral line and the distribution of colours being much the same. He now 

 divides them, as Ruppell's fish appears to have a higher body, 4 longitudinal yellow bands over the preopercle, and 

 only 20 rows of scales. 



Having examined specimens taken in the Red Sea and elsewhere, I have not found less than 23 scales 

 along the lateral-line, and in two specimens from Zanzibar the lateral-line is continuous. 



Specimen from Suez, 14 inches long : height of body 3^ in the total length. 

 l-£- 

 „ Andamans, If- 

 „ Massuah, 1-jL 



li 

 „ Andamans, 2 

 ,, Zanzibar, 2^ 



„ Andamans, 3 

 „ Zanzibar, 2>\ 



The foregoing measurements lead me to doubt the specific difference between A. auritus from the Red 

 Sea, and my species from the Andamans which=J.. polystigma, Bleeker. 



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



16. Apogon Ellioti, Plate XVII, fig. 1. 



Apogon nigripinnis, Jerdon, M.J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 128, and Giinther, Catal. i, p. 235, and Fische cL 

 Sudsee, p. 21, (not Cuv. and Val.) 



B. vii, D. 7/i, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. |, C. 16, L. 1. 26, L. tr. 2/6J. 



Length of head 3j, of caudal 2/11, height of body 2'7 in the total length. Eyes — diameter 2/7 of length 

 of head, 1/2 a diameter from end of snout, and 1 apart. Lower jaw very slightly the longer : the maxilla reaches 

 to below the posterior edge of the orbit.* Vertical limb of preopercle entire, or very finely serrated on its lower 

 half and outer edge, more distinctly round its angle and on the outer edge of its horizontal limb, there may also 

 be a few serrations likewise along its inner angle : lower edge of orbit roughened : shoulder entire. Teeth — fine 

 in jaws, vomer, and palate. Ems — spinous much lower than the soft dorsal, its third, fourth and fifth spines the 

 highest, and equal to two-fifths of that of the body : the second dorsal three-fourths as high as the body, its 

 upper edge and also that of the anal being rounded. Pectoral as long as the ventral, which does not reach the 

 anal : caudal rounded. Pseudobranchice — present. Free portion of tail rather longer than high at its base. 

 Lateral-line — at first arborescent, but posteriorly with a lateral plate-like prolongation on either side of the base 

 of each tube. Colours — golden, upper surface of head and jaws, also upper portion of opercle with black spots : 



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* In examining some immature specimens of this fish in the British Museum, I found that at 1-fe inches in length, the 

 diameter of the eye was 2/5 of the length of the head, and the maxilla reached to nearly below its centre. At 2 inches in length, the 

 diameter of the eye was 1/3 of the length of the head, and the maxilla reached to below the last third of the orbit. 



