FAMILY, VI— CIRRHITIL\E. 145 



2/9 to 2/11 of length of head, 1| diameters'from end of snout, and 1 apart. The maxilla reaches to below the 

 middle of the orbit. Vertical limb of preopercle finely serrated, angle oblique, its lower limb also the sub- and 

 inter-opercles and the preorbital entire : a blunt opercular point. Anterior nostril rather valvular and fringed. 

 Teeth — strong canines on either side of symphysis of the upper jaw, two large and some small lateral conical 

 canine-like ones in the mandible : the villiform teeth on the vomer in a triangular patch, with its base behind. 

 Fins — dorsal spines rather strong, increasing in length to the third and fourth which equal 2j in the height of 

 the body, they slightly decrease in length to the last but one, the twelfth being rather longer than the eleventh ; 

 interspinous membrane with a fine prolongation from behind each spine, the highest rays of the dorsal fin as 

 long as those of the anal : lower free rays of pectoral fin longer than the branched ones and equal to two-thirds 

 of the length of the head : ventral reaches the vent : second anal spine the strongest, and as long as the third 

 which is nearly one-third the height of the body : caudal cut square or slightly emarginate. Scales — cycloid, 

 some between the rays of the vertical fins : the sub- and inter-opercles, and outer edge of the preopercle are 

 covered with fine scales, as is also the preorbital and suborbital ring of bones, whilst on the cheeks and opercles 

 there are many small ones amongst the rows of large ones, which about equal in size those on the body. 

 Colours — reddish, head, chest and base of pectoral fin with black spots : a broad dark band along the middle of 

 the body to the upper half of the caudal fin, becoming brown with black blotches in its last third. A wide 

 yellow band from above the pectoral to the lower half of the caudal fin. Upper edge of the last half of the 

 spinous dorsal black, continued as a black band along the base of the soft dorsal : front edge of anal and outer 

 edge of soft caudal with narrow black margins. 



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

 specimen figured is 5| inches long, and was captured at the Andaman islands. Bennett observes, " the Tik 

 Jcossah of the Cingalese inhabits rocky situations, seldom exceeds eighteen inches in length, and is a firm-fleshed 

 and wholesome fish." 



2. Cirrhites fasciatus. 



Cuv. and Val. hi, p. 76, pi. 47; Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 73 (not Bennett). 



B. vi, D. ii, P. 9+V, V. 1/5, A. f, C. 15. 



Length of head 3/11, of caudal 1/7, height of body 2/5 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 2/7 of length 

 of head, 1 diameter from end of snout. The maxilla reaches to below the first third of the orbit. Teeth — no 

 canines. Fins — dorsal interspinous membrane very deeply emarginate, fourth dorsal spine the highest and 

 equal to about 1/3 the height of the body, from it they decrease to the last but one, which is not so high as the 

 last : soft portion of the fin as high as the spinous : second anal spine the longest, equalling rather more than 

 the highest of the dorsal fin. Colours — greyish, becoming white below, it is vertically banded with darker : 

 some white spots on the snout and nape. 



Habitat. — Pondicherry. 



Genus, 2 — Cieehitichthts, Bleeker. 



Cirrhitopsis, Gill. 



Branchiostegals six. Preopercle denticulated : opercle spinate. Villiform teeth and canines in the javjs : 

 teeth also in the vomer and palatines. A single dorsal fin with ten spines : anal with three : five to seven of the lower 

 pectoral rays unbranched. Scales of moderate size. Air-vessel absent. Pyloric appendages few. 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Cirrhitichthys aureus, D. y^-j, P. 7+ VI- VII, A. T ? T , L. 1. 43, L. tr. 4/12. First dorsal ray prolonged. 

 Rosy, with badly defined blotches : some red spots on the caudal. Seas of India to the Malay Archipelago and 

 beyond. 



2. Cirrhitichthys marmoratus, D. -fj, P. 7+ VII, A. f , L. 1. 40, L. tr. 4/10. No elongated dorsal ray. - 

 Body and vertical fins with brown spots. Red Sea to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



1. Cirrhitichthys aureus, Plate XXXV, fig. 5. 



Cirrhites aureus, Temm. and Schleg. Faun. Japon. Poiss. p. 15, t. vii, f. 2. 

 Cirrhitichthys aureus, Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 75. 

 Cirrhitichthys Bleelceri, Day, Sea Fishery Report, No. 207, p. exci. 

 Shun-gun, Tarn. 



B. vi, D. t^l p. 7+VI-VII, V. 1/5, A. «? T , C. 15, L. 1. 43, L. tr. 4/12. 



Length of head 1/4, of caudal 2/11, height of body 3/10 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 2/7 of length 

 of head, 1 j diameters from end of snout, and 2/3 of a diameter apart. Interorbital space concave. The maxilla 

 reaches to below the first third of the orbit. Preopercle denticulated along its vertical border, as is also the 

 shoulder scale : sub- and inter-opercles entire : preorbital nearly as deep as long, entire. A weak opercular 

 spine. Teeth — villiform, with an outer rather enlarged row in the upper jaw, and two or more rather curved 

 and conical lateral ones in the mandible : villiform bands on the vomer and palate. Fins — dorsal spines rather 

 strong, increasing in length to the fifth and sixth, which equal two-fifths of the height of the body : first ray 

 elongated, otherwise the soft portion only as high as the spinous : pectoral a little longer than the head, the two 



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