66 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



of which, or the outer only, may he serrated. Villiform teeth in the jaius, vomer, and palate : canines present generally 

 in bothjaivs and lateral canine-like ones. Two dorsal fins separated by an interspace, the first with six spines ; the 

 anal with two. Scales ctenoid,* large and deciduous. Lateral-line distinct. 



Geographical distribution. — From the Red Sea and East coast of Africa, through the seas of India and 

 the Malay Archipelago to the Pacific. Along the coasts of India they appear to be most abundant off Sind, 

 and in the Andamans and Nicobars. The specimen of this genus recorded from the Coromandel coast of India, 

 by Dr. Jerdon, in the 'Madras Journal Literature and Science' (1851, No. 39, p. 129) was, as I have already 

 observed (p. 57), Apogon multitamiatus. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Cheilodipterus lineatus, D. 6/j-, A. •§-, L. 1. 26. Silvery-red with from seven to sixteen narrow black 

 longitudinal bands, and a dark spot at the base of the caudal fin : first dorsal black between the second and 

 third spines. Red Sea, East coast of Africa, and Sind. 



2. Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus, D. 6/£, A. f , L. 1. 25. Similar to the last with five bands. Red Sea, 

 Nicobars to the Malay Archipelago. 



1. Cheilodipterus lineatus, Plate XVIII, fig. 8 and 9 (var. Arabicus). 



Perca lineata, Forsk. Desc. Anim. p. 42, No. 43 ; Riipp. N. W. Fische, p. 89. 

 Perca Arabica, Linn. Syst. Nat. p. 1312. 



Cheilodipterus lineatus, Lacep. iii, p. 543, pi. xxxiv, fig. 1 ; Giinther, Catal. i, p. 248 ; Klunz. Verh. z. b. 

 Ges. Wien, 1870, p. 717. 



Centropomus macrodon, Lacep. iv, p. 273. 



Cheilodipterus octovittatus, Cuv. and Val. ii, p. 163; Klunz. Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1870, p. 717. 



Cheilodipterus Arabicus, Cuv. and Val. ii, p. 165, pi. 23. 



Cheilodipterus heptazona, Bleeker, Perc. p. 29. 



Paramia octolineata, Bleeker, Atl. Ich. Perc. t. xxvii, fig. 2, and Apogonini, p. 75. 



B. vii, D. 6/i P. 13, V. 1/5, A. |, C. 17, L. I. 26-27, L. tr. 3|/7|. 



Length of head nearly 1/3, of caudal 4| to 1/5, height of body 1/4 in the total length. Eyes — diameter 

 from 4^ to 1/4 in length of head, 1 to \\ diameters from end of snout, and 3/4 to 1 diameter apart. The 

 maxilla reaches to below the last third of the orbit. Vertical limb of preopercle very finely serrated in its 

 outer edge, as is also that of the horizontal limb, where however the serrations are coarser and blunter ; the 

 other bones of the head entire. Teeth — canines in both jaws, and lateral canine-like ones. Fins — dorsal spines 

 weak, the second and third of the same height and equal to two-thirds of that of the body. Pectoral reaches to 

 above the anal spines : ventral two-thirds of the distance to the anal. Caudal forked. Colours — silvery-red, 

 with horizontal bands along the head and body, the number of which appears to increase with age. In Sind 

 some specimens had only seven, others as many as sixteen. One black band commencing above the snout 

 proceeds to the base of the first dorsal fin : a second arising on the snout in common with that of the opposite 

 side just anterior to the upper one and passes along the back above the lateral-line to the upper side of the 

 caudal fin : the third commences on the side of the snout and passes through the eye, from the hind edge of 

 which about four bands arise and are continued along the body : there are also generally two more from below 

 the eye. A black spot exists at the base of the caudal fin, which is surrounded by a light edge. Fins red, the 

 first dorsal black between the second and third spines. In adults intermediate bands appear between those 

 described as existing in the young. 



In the variety (fig. 9) which=(7. Arabicus, C.V. it is bright yellow around the caudal blotch. The 

 specimen came from Gwadar. 



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

 beyond. 



2. Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus. 



Cuv. and Val. ii, p. 167 ; Riipp. N. W. Fische, p. 89 ; Lesson. Zool. Voy. Duperr. ii, p. 237 ; Bleeker, 

 Mol. p. 252 ; Klunz. Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1870, p. 716. 



Apogon novemstriatus, Riippell, N. W. Fische, p. 85, t. 22, f. 1. 



Chilodipterus quinquelineatus, Giinther, Catal. i, p. 248. 



Paramia quinquelineata, Bleeker, Bouro, p. 147, Atl. Ich. Perc. t. xlviii, fig. 2, and Apogonini, p. 76. 



B. vii, D. 6/i, P. 15, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 17, L. 1. 25, L. tr. 2/7. 



Length of head about 2/7, of caudal 1/5, height of body 2/9 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 1/3 of 

 length of head, 3/4 of a diameter from end of snout, and also apart. Vertical limb of preopercle serrated along 

 its outer edge. Teeth — generic. Fins — dorsal spines weak, second and third of the same height, and about 

 eq;ual to half of that of the body. Caudal forked. Colours — with a reddish tinge having five black bands 



* Bleeker has separated those species in which (although their dentition is similar) the scales are smaller and cycloid, and the 

 caudal fin convex instead of emarginate, into a distinct genus, Pseudamia. 



