158 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Length of head 4/15, of caudal 2/11, height of body 3/11 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 2/7 of 

 length of head, one diameter from end of snout, and nearly one apart. Body strongly compressed, a rise from 

 the snout to the base of the dorsal fin at about 45°. The maxilla reaches to below the middle of the orbit, lower 

 jaw sbghtly the longer. Preorbital with one sharp spine reaching to below the hind edge of the orbit and 

 having a small one at its base. A strong sharp spine at the angle of the preopercle, and some blunt ones along 

 its lower edge : opercular spines moderately developed. Teeth — villiform in jaws, vomer, and palate. Fins — 

 dorsal spines moderately strong, commencing over the middle of the eye, interspinous membrane deeply 

 emarginate, the first dorsal spine equals the length of the head in front of the middle of the eye, the second an'd 

 third are of equal length and as long as the head excluding the snout, last eight spines of about the same height 

 as the rays : pectoral as long as the head, its articulated rays branched, and it extends as far as the ventral : 

 second anal spine rather strong and nearly as long as the head anterior to the hind edge of the eye, third spine 

 equals the length of the head behind the middle of the eye : caudal cut square. Scales — rudimentary, but 

 distinct. Lateral-line — with 20 tubes. Colours — pinkish, a brown spot on the lateral line below the seventh 

 dorsal spine, and a white one above and behind it : fins with brown spots, end of caudal blackish. 



The sj^ecimen is figured life-size from one from China in the British Museum, presented by Mr. Reeves. 

 I never obtained this species in India, but one stated to have come from thence was given the British Museum 

 by General Hardwicke. 



Habitat. — Seas of India to China, attaining a few inches in length. 



3. Amblyapistus macracanthus, Plate XXXVIII, fig 3. 



Apistus macracanthus, Bleeker, Ceram. p. 267. 

 Tetraroge macracanthus, Giinther, Catal. ii, p. 133. 



B. vi, D. y.flf , P- 12, V. 1/5, A. £, C. 12. 



Length of head 2/9, of caudal 1/4, height of body 2/7 of the total length. Eyes — diameter 3/11 of length 

 of head, 1 diameter from end of snout, and 3/4 of a diameter apart. Body strongly compressed. The maxilla 

 reaches to below the first third of the orbit. Preorbital with two strong sharp spines : five along the angle and 

 vertical limb of the preopercle, the upper being sharp and the strongest : opercle with two spines. Barbels 

 absent. Teeth — villiform in jaws, vomer, and palate. Fins — dorsal fin commences before the eyes, is high 

 anteriorly, the first three spines being at some distance from the others, the second dorsal spine the highest, 

 being nearly as high as the body, the last spine as high as the rays. All the articulated fin-rays branched near 

 their extremities. Pectoral rather longer than the height of the body : ventral reaches the anal : third anal 

 spine the longest and equal to half the length of the head : caudal pointed, its lower border truncated, it is 

 slightly joined to the base of the caudal by a membranous prolongation. Scales— s, few small ones imbedded 

 in the skin on the body. Colours — brownish-black, the pectoral with a white border. 



Habitat. — Andamans and Malay Archipelago, the specimen figured (a female 3.j inches long) was captured 

 at the Andaman islands. 



Genus, 10 — Micropus, Gray. 



Caracanthus, Kroyer : Ampliiprionichthys, Bleeker : Centropus, Kner : Crossoderma, Guichenot. 



Branchiostegals four to six. Body strongly compressed. Preorbital, pre- sub- and inter-opercles armed. 

 Villiform teeth in the jaws only. A single or tioo dorsal fins, the first with seven or eight spines, the anal with two : 

 no free pectoral rays : ventrals rudimentary : some of the articulated fin-rays branched. Body scaleless, but covered 

 with small tubercles, (no cleft behind the fourth gill.) 



Geographical distribution. — These small fishes appear to be distributed through the seas of India to the 

 Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



SYNOPSIS OP INDIVIDUAL SPECIES. 



1. Micropus Zeylonicus — D. 7/14, A. T 2 T , yellowish-brown, with darker reticulations. Malabar and Ceylon. 



1. Micropus Zeylonicus, Plate XXXVIII, fig. 6. 

 Ampliiprionichthys Zeylonicus, Day, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 515. 

 B. iv, D. 7/14, P. 13, V. 1/3?, A. T \, C. 15. 



Length of head nearly 1/3, of caudal 1/5, height of body 4/9 to 1/2 of the total length. Eyes — high up, 

 1-| diameters from end of snout and 1 apart. Body elevated and compressed, the profile from the dorsal fin to 

 the snout very steep. Mouth anterior, lower jaw rather the longer : the maxilla reaches to below the middle 

 of the eye. Preorbital with a strong spine directed backwards and somewhat downwards : preopercle with five 

 blunt spines, the two lowest being the longest : an equally long one but not so blunt exists on the interopercle : 

 subopercle with one blunt spine : opercle with two badly developed spines. A serrated ridge passes from the 

 back of the orbit towards the occiput. Teeth — villiform in the jaws, none on the vomer or palate. Fins — 

 dorsal fin has a notch between its two portions, the third and fourth spines the highest, and equal to a little 

 more than 1 diameter of the orbit : rays not so high as the spines : ventrals rudimentary : anal spines with a 

 deep notch in the membrane separating them from the rays. Scales — absent, but slight elevations on the skin. 

 Colours —bluish along the upper half of the body, becoming dirty brown on the abdomen : several irregular 



