134 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



profiles about equally convex. The maxilla reaches to below the front edge of the orbit : snout compressed, lips 

 rather thick. The height of the preorbital equals two-thirds of the diameter of the orbit, preopercle and 

 preorbital entire : opercle with a blunt point. Teeth — eight broad, compressed, rather forwardly directed 

 incisors in either jaw, also three rows of rounded molars. Fins — dorsal spines of moderate strength, increasing 

 in len°-th to the fourth, which equals about half of that of the head, the rays much lower than the spines. 

 Pectoral as long as the head ; ventral does not reach the anus : second anal spine strongest and longest, equalling 

 the length of the snout : caudal forked, the upper lobe usually the longer. Scales — five rows between the eye 

 and the angle of the preopercle. Colours — greyish-silvery, fine dots on the scales, forming lines along the centre 

 of each row, and a darkish spot at the base of the pectoral : a black blotch with a silvery lower border (lost in the 

 adult) on the lateral-line between the end of the dorsal fin and the base of the caudal. Fins — blackish, except 

 the pectoral, which is flesh-coloured, and the caudal which has an orange tinge. Eyes golden. Young with 

 narrow vertical brown lines on the body. 



Habitat. — Red Sea, very common at Suez, to the coast of Sind, attaining at least 12 inches in length. 



Third group — Pagrina. 

 Cutting teeth in front of the jaws and molars along the sides. 



Genus, 3 — Lethrinus, Cuv. 



Brancliiostegals six: pseudobranchiw. Villiform teeth in the anterior portion of the jaws, having canines in 

 front of them : lateral teeth in a single row and either conical or ivith rounded crowns : none on the palate or tongue. 

 Dorsal fin single, receivable into a sheath at its base, and having ten spines and nine rays : anal with three spines. 

 Scales of moderate size, none on the cheelcs. Air-vessel generally notched posteriorly and having short lateral processes. 

 Pyloric appendages few. 



Bleeker in his revision of the fishes of this genus offers some excellent remarks. The Lethrini have the 

 same number of spines and rays, whilst the number of pierced scales along the lateral-line only varies between 

 about 45 and 50, and the scaling of the head is the same in all. One would imagine that specific characters might 

 be found in the length of the snout, in the comparative height of the preorbital, and in the form of the posterior 

 teeth in the jaws, but these characters have merely a relative value, because the snout becomes more elongated 

 as age advances, the height of the preorbital increases, and the rounded molars in the adult are occasionally the 

 remains of what were conical and pointed teeth in the young. The same variations are seen as to colours, the 

 black lateral blotch present in the young disappears in some species as age advances, in fact the vivid colours of 

 immature become more sober and uniform as age increases. The best characteristics are found in the number 

 of rows of scales between the lateral-line and the dorsal fin, in the form of the profile : in the relative heights of 

 the body and head, and in the strength and length of the dorsal and anal spines. 



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

 beyond. 



SYNOPSIS OP SPECIES. 



A. With the lateral teeth conical. 



1. Lethrinus rostratus, D. l , A. §, L. tr. 6/16. Height of body 1/4 of the total length: eyes 2 to 2| 

 diameters from end of snout. Pourth dorsal spine longest. Olive-brown, with dark bands on the head, and 

 generally a dark blotch between the pectoral fin and lateral-line. Red Sea, seas of India to the Malay Archi- 

 pelago and beyond. 



B. With some or all of the lateral teeth molarform. 



2. Lethrinus cinereus, D. *J>, A. §, L. tr. 6/17. Head slightly longer than high. A quadrangular blotch 

 between the pectoral fin and the lateral-line. Seas of India. 



3. Lethrinus Jcarwa, D. ^, A. f, L. tr. 6/17. Head rather higher than long. A blue spot on each scale, 

 a blood red edge to opercle. Seas of India. 



4. Lethrinus nebulosus, D. ^, A. f, L. tr. 6/16. Head rather longer than high : eyes 2| diameters from 

 end of snout. Bands of blue and yellow spots. Red Sea and Indian Ocean. 



5. Lethrinus opercularis, D. a ¥ °> A. f , L. tr. 6/16. Colours as in karwa. Seas of India. 



6. Lethrinus omatus, D. ^, A. f, L. tr. 6/15. Head as high as long. Eyes 1£ diameters from end of 

 snout. Several longitudinal bands and a violet one across the base of the pectoral fin. Andamans to the Malay 

 Archipelago. 



7. Lethrinus ramak, D. 1 T o ) J^. a, L. tr. 6/14. Head longer than high. Eyes 2 diameters from end of 

 snout. Olive, with yellowish bands and a violet spot in the axilla. Red Sea and Ceylon. 



8. Lethrinus haralc, D. y, A. f , L. tr. 5|/15. Eyes 2 diameters from end of snout. Head as high as 

 long. An oblong black blotch below the lateral-line opposite the middle of the pectoral fin. Red Sea and seas 

 of India. 



A. With the lateral teeth conical. 



1. Lethrinus rostratus, Plate XXXIII, fig. 1. 

 (Kuhl. and v. Hass.) Cuv. and Val. vi, p. 296 ; Bleeker, Verh. Bat. Gen. xxiii, Spar. p. 13 and Revis. 

 Leth, p. 26 ; Gimther, Catal. i, p. 454. 



