18 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



/S. diacanthus as was pointed out to me by Professor Peters, who also showed me one of Yal. typical specimens 

 in the Berlin Museum. 



13. Serranus lanceolatus, Plate IV, fig. 1. 



Holocentrus lanceolatus, Bl. t. 242, f. 1 ; Bl. Schn. p. 315 ; Lacep. iv, pp. 380, 383. 



Perca suggalathoo bontoo, Russell, Fish. Vizag. ii, p. 23, pi. 130. 



Serranus lanceolatus, Cuv. & Val. ii, p. 316 ; Bleeker, Perc. p. 35 ; Cantor, Catal. p. 8 ; Giinther, Catal. i, 

 p. 107 & Zool. Record 1869, p. 128 ; Blyth, Proc. Asiatic Soc. of Beng. xxix, p. Ill ; Day, Pishes of Malabar, 

 p. 4, pi. 1, fig. 1 & 2, & Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 512 & 1871, p. 635 ; Playfair, Fishes of Zanzibar, p. 4. 



Serranus horridus, Cantor, Catal. p. 9 (not Cuv. & Val.) 



Fpinephelus lanceolatus, Bleeker, Epinephelini, p. 73. 



Kurrupu, Mai. : Gommaaree, if young Wutla-callawah or 'perch with a sore head,' Tarn. : Gussir, Sind. : 

 Bole, Chittagong : Nga-towktoo-shweydoo, Arrak. 



B. vii, D. ^Ve. P- 19> V. 1/5, A. T ? T , C. 15, L. r. yJ>, L. tr. 20/52, Ceec. pyl. many. 



Length of head 4/13 to 2/7, of caudal 1/5 to 1/6, height of body 2/7 to 1/4 of the total length. Fyes— 

 diameter 1/6 to 1/8 in the length of the head, i to \\ diameters from the end of snout, and from 1 in the young 

 to \\ in the adult apart. The maxilla reaches to a little beyond the vertical from the hind edge of the orbit. 

 Preopercle with its vertical edge having a shallow emargination above the angle, and finely serrated, becoming 

 somewhat coarsely so at the angle : its lower edge, and also the sub- and inter-opercles entire. Opercle with 

 the central spine most distinct. In the fry there is a well-developed spine at the angle of the preopercle. 

 Teeth — a small canine on either side of upper jaw, and a still smaller one in the lower jaw: no enlarged row in 

 the upper jaw, but the inner row in the mandible, especially posteriorly, much the largest. Fins — dorsal spines* 

 not so high as the rays, its soft portion and also that of the anal rounded : pectoral longer than the ventral, and 

 equal to the postorbital portion of the head : second anal spine stronger but shorter than the third : caudal 

 rounded. Scales — cycloid, but usually with raised circular lines upon them, especially in the forepart of the 

 body, about 15 rows between the 6th dorsal spine and the lateral-line. Gwcal-piylori — very short, consequently 

 in the young appear almost like a gland. Colours — vary with age, the very young being of a fine citron or 

 sulphur ground-colour, having irregular vertical bands and markings, which become more distinct as the age of 

 the fish advances. About to a foot or even eighteen inches in length, the ground colour continues to be bright 

 yellow, with five vertical, blackish-blue bands, the first passing from the orbit downwards over the preopercle -; 

 the second from the nape to the opercle joins the first band in its posterior margin, and coalesces with the third 

 behind or above the pectoral fin: the third proceeding from the bases of seven dorsal spines (3-10), passes 

 downwards to the abdomen : the fourth passes from the fifth to the last dorsal ray, and descends to the base of 

 the anal fin : the last surrounds the free portion of the tail. Fins — yellow with black spots or blotches, forming 

 confluent bars at their bases, which on the pectoral are disposed in three or four undulating arched bands. In 

 the adult the black bands disappear, the ground colour becomes greyish-brown, the whole being reticulated with 

 greyish-black lines. The fins retain most of their original yellow colour but the amount of the black decreases. 

 Amongst Sir Walter Elliot's drawings are two of the adult of this fish, termed Panni mm and Pilli punni, 

 having a remark attached " younger with transverse bars." 



In " Fishes of Malabar," I considered, as Cantor had previously done, that.S. horridjis was the adult of 

 this species. Dr. Bleeker, however, who appears to have inspected the specimen at Leyden, states it to be 

 Serranus fuscoguttatus. 



Habitat. — East coast of Africa and seas of India to the Malay Archipelago, attaining a large size. The 

 specimen figured is about 15 inches long, and intermediate between the two figured in the " Fishes of Malabar," 

 it is not included in the five referred to in the note. Respecting this fish, Cantor observes that " in one, 

 the weight of which exceeded loOlbs., the stomach contained remains of Stromateus, Sphyma JBlochii, and of a 

 Limulus." 



14-. Serranus erythrurus. 



Cuv. & Val. ii, p. 320. 



B. vii, D. 11/16, P. 17, V. 1/5, A. 3/9, C. 17. 



Vertical border of preopercle finely serrated, its horizontal limb entire. Fins— rounded. Colours — on 

 the back and upper surface of the head greenish, variegated with red, silvery- white below : dorsal greenish : 

 ventral, anal, and pectoral yellowish : tail reddish. 



* To show how the comparative length of the doraal spines vary, not only with age, but with specimens, I subjoin the measure- 

 ments of five in my collection : 



of 4th dorsal spine equal to 3^- of the entire length of the fish. 



2' » >) "TO I! 



3. „ ,,.13 „ 



**• » » 13 „ 



5- „ „ 22 



The late Mr. Blyth having examined pi. 1, in the Fishes of Malabwr, suggested my asserting on his authority, that they represented 

 the identical species he referred to in the Pro. of the Asi. Soc. and were the young and old of one sort. 



25 



, i 



1 3 



. 1 

 1 &■ 



