FAMILY, I— PERCID^E. 27 



Labrus punctatus, Lacep. iii, p. 431, pi. 17, f. 2. 



Serramis loiiti, Riipp. Atl. p. 106, pi. 26, f. 2 ; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 101, and Fische d. Sudsee, p. 2, t. i, 

 (not Cut. and Val.) 



Serranus punctulatus, Cnv. and Val. ii, p. 367, ix, p. 435 ; Bleeker, Sumatra, i. p. 570; Quoy and Gaim. 

 Voy. Astrol. Poissons, p. 654, pi. 3, f. 2. 



Serranus phcenistomtis, Swains. Fish, ii, p. 201. 



Variola longipinna, Swains. Fish, ii, p. 202. 



Pseudoserranus louti, Klimz. Fische d. Roth. Meer. Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien. 1870, p. 687. 



Variola louti, Bleeker, Epinephelini, p. 11. 



B. vii, D. .5^,, P. 18, V. 1/5, A. f , C. 17, L. r. Ui, Vert. 10/14. 



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

 2/9 to 1/5 in the length of head, upwards of 1| diameters from the end of snout, and 2/3 of a diameter apart. 

 Lower jaw prominent, the maxilla reaches to below the hind edge of the eye. Vertical limb of preopercle with 

 some feeble serrations at its angle, its lower limb, sub- and inter-opercles entire. Teeth — strong canines in the 

 upper, and weaker ones in the lower jaw : outer row of teeth in the maxilla, shorter and thicker than the 

 villiform band : some large teeth also present amongst the villiform ones in the mandible. Fins — dorsal spines 

 rather weak, the soft portion of the fin, also of the anal, elongated and pointed : pectoral as long as the head 

 without the snout : ventral one-third longer : second anal spine not quite so long as the third ; caudal deeply 

 emarginate and with pointed angles. Scales — ctenoid about 14 rows between the lateral-line and the base of the 

 first dorsal spine. Colours — red with small darker spots everywhere : all the fins red, outer edge of pectoral and 

 soft dorsal yellowish, as is also snout and abdomen. A yellow line along the inner edge of the two lobes of the 

 caudal fin. 



Habitat. — From the Red Sea through the seas of India to the Malay Archipelago. The specimen figured 

 is from the collection in the British Museum. 



Genus, 5 — Anthias, (Bl. Schi.) Cuv. 8f Val. 



Caprodon, Temm. and Schleg. : Aylopon, Gallanthias, Paranthias, and Elastoma, Guichemot : Holanthias, 

 Giinther. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobranchios. Body oblong, rather elongated, and compressed : preorbital of 

 moderate height, entire. Preopercle serrated. Opercle with ttuo spines. Villiform teeth in both jaios, ivith canines 

 anteriorly, and an outer row of canine-like ones laterally : also villiform on the vomer and palate : if present on the 

 tongue, minute. B/orsal fin single, with from nine to eleven spines: anal with three : pectorals pointed : caudal rather 

 deeply forked : one, or more of the fins, as a rule, having elongated rays. Scales of moderate size, an enlarged row 

 over the nape. Pyloric appendages few. * 



Geographical distribution, most of the seas of temperate and tropical regions. 



SYNOPSIS OF INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Anthias multidens, D. -La, A. f , L. 1. 52. Rosy, with lateral golden bands on the body, and two on the 

 head. Andamans. 



1. Anthias multidens, Plate VII, fig. 4. 



Mesoprion multidens, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1870, p. 680. 



B. vii, D. i£, P. 16, V. 1/5, A. &, C. 16, L. 1. 52, L. r. ff, L. tr. 7/17, Ca3c. pyl. 5. 



Length of head 4/15, of caudal 1/4, height of body 1/4 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 2/7 of length 

 of head, lj diameters from end of snout, and 1 apart. The distance between the eye and the angle of the 

 mouth equals three-fourths of the diameter of the orbit. The maxilla reaches to below the first-third of the 

 orbit. Vertical and horizontal limbs of preopercle finely serrated, most coarsely so x at its rounded and somewhat 

 produced angle. Opercle with two well developed spines. Seven rows of scales between the eye and the angle 

 of the preopercle. Teetlv — villiform in the jaws, with a large canine on either side of the premaxillary, and an 

 outer lateral row of canine-like ones in the maxilla : likewise an outer row of canine-like teeth in the lower 

 jaw : villiform ones on the vomer and palate. Fins — dorsal spines slender, the fifth the longest, and nearly equal 

 to half the height of the body below it, the last spine upwards of two-thirds of the length of the fifth : pectoral 

 as long as the head, and reaching to above the end of the base of the anal : last dorsal, and anal rays elongated to 

 nearly twice as long as the one preceding each : second anal spine the strongest, the third the longest, and nearly 

 equal to one-third of the length of the head : caudal deeply forked, the upper lobe slightly the longer. Colours — 

 rosy, with about six longitudinal yellow bands along the body, and a golden one from the inferior angle of the 

 eye to the snout, and another across the forehead. 



Habitat. — Andamans, where it is common, attaining a large size : although the number of spines, rays, 

 scales, and cascal pylori are the same as in Anthias oculatus, Cuv. and Val. the form of the dorsal fin differs, as 

 in this species the spines do not decrease to the last. 



Genus, 6 — Grammistes (Artedi) Cuvier. 

 Pogonoperca, Giinther. 



Branchiostegals seven : pseudobranchiae. Body oblong and compressed. Snout short. Opercle and preopercle 

 unserrated, but spinate. Eyes lateral. Teeth villiform in the jaws, vomer, and palatines, no canines : tongue smooth. 



E 2 



