266 ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



Family, XXII— PSEUDOCHROMIDES, Mull and Trosck 



Branchiostegals from five to seven: pseudobranchiae. Body more or less elongated. Eyes more or 

 less lateral. Cleft of mouth oblique. Bones on the head unarmed or obtuse points on the opercle : head 

 not cuirassed. The suborbital ring of bones articulates with the preopercle. Teeth in the jaws, present 

 or absent on the vomer or palatines. Dorsal fin consisting of two portions which are connected, 

 usually more rays than spines : anal similar to, or of less extent than the soft dorsal : ventrals thoracic 

 or jugular : pectorals without appendages. Body scaled. Scales feebly cycloid or ctenoid. Lateral-line 

 interrupted or incomplete. Air-vessel present or absent. Pyloric appendages, when present, in small 

 numbers. 



Bleeker, -with much, reason, objects to the union of the Genus Opisthognathus 'with the Pseudo- 

 chromides. He considers the Opisthognathidj; as forming a distinct family, intermediate between the 

 Blenniim and Pseudochromides, and distinguished by having a scaleless head, cycloid scales, edentulous 

 palate. Ventral fins well developed and jugular, possessing five soft rays, the two anterior of which are simple, 

 thick, and elongated : dorsal and anal spines very weak and flexible, whilst the number of rays in the anal about 

 equals those of the soft dorsal : caudal with twelve branched rays. 



SYNOPSIS OF GENERA. 



1. Opisthognathus. Cleft of mouth large. Palate edentulous. Scales cycloid. Lateral-line incomplete. 

 Bed Sea, those of India to the Malay Archipelago, also Brazils. 



2. Pseudochromis. Lower jaw the longer. Teeth in jaws, vomer, and palate. Scales ctenoid. Lateral- 

 line interrupted. 



Genus, 1 — Opisthognathus, Cuv. 



Gnathypops, Gill. 



Branchiostegals six : pseudobranchice. Body more or less elongated, and posteriorly rather compressed. Upper 

 profile of snout parabolic. Eyes lateral, large. Cleft of mouth deep, the upper jaw being either produced in a styli- 

 form process to beyond the angle of the preopercle, or truncated a little behind the level of the hind edge of the eye. 

 Fine teeth in jaws, with an outer enlarged roiv : palate edentidous. Dorsal and anal spines weak and flexible 

 (10-13), rays (13-17) similar to those of the anal : anal with two flexible spines: ventrals jugular: pectoral rays 

 branched. Scales cycloid, small. Lateral-line not continued so far as the caudal fin. Air-vessel small. Cxcal 

 appendages absent, 



Geographical distribution. — Bed Sea, those of India to the Malay Archipelago and beyond, also Brazil. 



This Genus has been subdivided by Mr. Gill into (1) those species in which the maxilla is produced 

 backwards into a sty liform process, (2) such as have the maxilla truncated (Gnathypops) . 



SYNOPSIS OF SPECIES. 



1. Opisthognathus nigromarginatus, D. yf-, A. 16-18. Maxilla produced backwards to beyond angle of 

 preopercle. Buff marbled with darker. Dorsal fin light with a black ovate spot between the fourth and eighth 

 dorsal spines. Bed Sea to the Malay Archipelago. 



2. Opisthognathus Bosenbergii, D. -j-|, A. ~j. Maxilla truncated, reaching to just behind posterior edge of 

 eye. Marbled : dorsal and anal fins black edged, the former with four or five large blotches along its base. 

 Madras to the Malay Archipelago. 



1. Opisthognathus nigromarginatus, Plate LVII, fig. 5. 



Buppell, Atl. Fische, p. 114, t. xxviii, f. 4 ; Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 278 ; Gunther, Catal. ii, p. 254 : 

 Klunz. Verh. z. b. Ges. Wien, 1871, p. 486. 



Opisthognathus Sonneratii, Cuv. Beg. Anim. ; Cuv. and Val. xi, p. 498 ; Swainson, Fishes, ii, p. 278 ; 

 Jerdon, M. J. L. and Sc. 1851, p. 144. 



Opisthognathus Cuvieri,* Val. Cuv. Beg. Anim. 111. Poiss. pi. 78, f. 3 (? C. and V. xi, p. 498). 



B. vi, D. if, P. 20, V. 1/5, A. 16-18, C. 12. 



* Some error may have occurred in Cut. and Val. as the figure, pi. 78, f. 3, does not represent the colours attributed to 

 0. Cuvieri. I obtained the 0. Cwoieri at Madras, but hare mislaid it. Amongst Sir W. Elliot's drawings are three of this species, 

 U. 25, A. 17. The maxilla is produced backwards, as in 0. nigromarginatus, and the membrane has the same black marks. Body 

 baff colour, with an irregular chestnut band along the side, and two or three more of whitish spots s head with white spots. Dorsal fin 



