84 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Lobotes Surinamensis, Plate XXI, fig. 5. 



Holocentrus Surinamensis, Bloch, t. 243 ; Bl. Schn. p. 316. 



Lobotes Surinamensis, Cuv. and Val. v, 319 ; Day, Fishes of Malabar, p. 24. 



Lolotes erate, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 322 ; Bleeker, Scieen. p. 26, and Atl. Ich. Perc. t. xxiii, fig. 4 ; Cantor, 

 Catal. p. 80. 



Lobotes Farkharii et somnolentus, Cuv. and Val. v, p. 324. 



Lobotes auctorum, Giinther, Catal. i, p. 338. 



Parrandee, Mai. : Musalli, Tarn. : Ghota bekkut, Ooriah. 



B. vi, D. JL p. i 5 .i7, V . 1/5, A. „!„, C. 17, L. r. ||:|-f, L. tr. 9-11/22, Caec. pyl. 4 (3), 

 Vert. 13/11. 



Length of head from 3| to 3f , of caudal 1/6, height of body 2| to 1/3 in the total length. Eyes — 

 diameter 1/6 to 1/7 of the length of head, 1 diameter from the end of snout, and 1| to 2 apart. A concavity in 

 the dorsal profile over the eyes. The maxilla reaches to below the anterior third of the orbit. Vertical limb of 

 preopercle denticulated, with spinate teeth at its rounded and slightly produced angle : horizontal limb entire. 

 Shoulder-bone and one in axilla denticulated. Teeth — fine. Fins — dorsal spines strong, the fourth to the seventh 

 of about the same height and the longest equal to half the length of the head ; soft portion of the fin higher than 

 the spinous. Pectoral rounded, half as long as the head : third anal spine longer than the second, and equal to 1/4 

 or 2/9 of height of body : soft portions of dorsal and anal rather angular : caudal rounded. Air-vessel — large, 

 thin, and lanceolate in shape. Colours — brassy-brown blotched with darker, and having the extremity of the 

 caudal and the pectoral of a dirty yellowish-white : the other fins are of a slate colour. 



This fish varies considerably with age ; and Dr. Giinther, under the designation of Lobotes auctorum, gives 

 as its range, " Atlantic coasts of America from New York to the coast of Surinam ; Carribean sea ; Ceylon, 

 Bay of Bengal, Sunda, Molucca, and Chinese seas." — Catal. i, p. 338. 



Habitat. — East coast of Africa, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond, attaining at least 2f 

 feet in length. It is excellent as food. 



Genus, 21 — Scolopsis, Cuv. anal Val. 



Scolopsides, Cuv. 



Branchiostegals five : pseudobranchiai. Body oblong. Eyes of moderate or large size. Mouth moderately 

 protractile: jaws of nearly equal length anteriorly : cleft of mouth horizontal. Infraorbital arch with a spine directed 

 backwards : preopercle as a rule serrated, and often the suborbital ring : opercle with a weak spine. A single dorsal 

 fin with ten spines : anal with three : caudal emarginate or forked. Scales ctenoid. Air-vessel without any 

 constriction, simple. Pyloric appendages fevj. 



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

 Malay Archipelago and beyond. The largest numbers and greatest varieties of species in this Genus are taken 

 off the coasts of Sind and Bombay, also at the Andamans and Nicobars. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Scolopsis bimaculatus, D. y, A. f, L. 1. 48, L. tr. 4|/14. Greyish, a broad white opercular band : two 

 black blotches on the lateral-line, the first from the eleventh to the twenty-second scale : the second behind the 

 end of the dorsal fin. Red Sea, seas of India to China. 



2. Scolopsis phceops, D. u>, A. f, L. 1. 46-48, L. tr. 5/16. A light band along the base of the dorsal fin: 

 a blue band from the eye to the upper jaw ; a second to the axilla where it ends in a blue spot. East coast of 

 Africa, and seas of India. 



3. Scolopsis bilineatus, D. u>, A. f, L. 1. 46, L. tr. 4/14. A white band from snout to base of dorsal 

 spines : a second from above the orbit to a little way below the last dorsal spine : a third from the upper edge of 

 the eye to the lateral-line. A wide yellow, black-edged band from the mouth to the soft dorsal. A large yellow 

 blotch below the last half of the soft dorsal, which latter is anteriorly edged with black : anal with its front half 

 black. Andamans and Malay Archipelago. 



4. Scolopsis glianam, D. 1 J ) A. f, L. 1. 46, L. tr. 4/14. A light band from the snout to the base of the 

 dorsal spines : a second from above the eye to the end of the dorsal fin : a third from the eye to the shoulder 

 where it divides into two and is continued backwards : a black spot in the axilla. Red Sea and Andamans. 



5. Scolopsis monogramma, D. r -£, A. -f, L. 1. 44, L. tr. 5/14. A deep black band from the eye to above the 

 base of the caudal fin. Andamans to the Malay Archipelago. 



6. Scolopsis cancellatus, D. y, A. f, L. 1. 44, L. tr. 3|/14. A white streak from snout to first dorsal 

 spine : a second from over orbit to the end of the base of the dorsal : a third from the upper third of the eye to 

 opposite the end of the pectoral : a fourth from the middle of the eye to the upper third of the caudal. Several 

 irregular and wide vertical body bands. A black spot between first and third dorsal spines. Andamans to the 

 Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



7. Scolopsis Vosmeri, D. y>, A. f , L. 1. 42-44, L. tr. 3^-4/14. Serrations on preopercle directed backwards 

 in the immature, outwards in the adult. A light band over the opercles, and a longitudinal light line along the 

 body. Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



8. Scolopsis leucotaznia, D. u>, A. f, L. 1. 39, L. tr. 3|/13. A light band edged with dark above and below, 

 going from the eye to the upper half of the caudal fin : usually a dark spot on the dorsal fin. Bombay to the 

 Malay Archipelago. 



