59 



spines of equal length, the former much the stronger. Caudal 

 cut nearly -square. Scales present, some on the upper part of the 

 opercle ; head otherwise scaleless. Colour rosy, marbled with 

 greyish ; one or two irregular vertical grey bands on the caudal 

 In ; dorsal, anal, and ventral also banded ; pectoral with numerous 

 dark spots. 

 Hab. Madras. 



801. (5.) Scorpsenopsis venosa. 



Scorpaeua venosa, Cup. $ Vol. H. N. Poiss. iv, p. 317. 

 Scorpsenopsis venosa, Day, Fish. India, p. 151. 4 



D.ll | 1/10. P.9 + x. V.l/5. A. 3/5. C. 16. L.r. 55/45. L.tr.9/25. 



Length of head 3^-, height of body 3| in the total length. Eyes 

 diameter 5 to 5 g in length of head, 1 diam. from end of snout, 

 and about 1 apart. Interorbital space very concave, with two 

 longitudinal ridges that end posteriorly in spines ; a groove before 

 the eyes ; a quadrangular space on the vertex bordered by spines ; 

 turbinal and preorbital spines, a spiny ridge across the cheeks ; 

 vertical margin of opercle, occipital and temporal ridges spiny. 

 Tentacles none apparent over orbit (?) ; very distinct on lower 

 jaw and different parts of head. Valenciennes observes that the 

 most remarkable character is that all the skin of the head between 

 the spines is as if it were veined with small scooped-out lines which 

 join on all sides, and thus form a network which has the appearance 

 of scales. Fins 4th dorsal spine longest and equal to second anal, 

 which is f length of head. Scales none on head. Colour 

 " head and body dark, with a mixture of dull red ; the throat and 

 belly are of a pink colour. The fins irregularly streaked black and 

 red ; the ventral at its root is pink like the belly " (Russell). 



Hab. Coromandel coast of India. 



4. Genus PTEROIS, Cuv. 



Syn. Pseudomonoptems, Klein; Macrochyitts, Pteroleptus, Pteropterus, 

 and Brachyrus, Swainson. 



Branchiostegals seven ; pseudobranchiae. Head rather large, 

 armed with spines and having skinny flaps ; no occipital groove. 

 Villiform teeth in jaws and on vomer, none on the palate. A 

 single deeply notched dorsal fin, having from twelve to thirteen 

 spines ; anal with two or three spines and few rays ; rays, and 

 sometimes spines, elongate ; no pectoral appendages. Air-bladder 

 large. Pyloric appendages few. 



Geographical Distribution. Indian and Pacific Oceans within the 

 tropics. 



No great value can be attached to the comparative length of the 

 dorsal spines or pectoral rays in this genus of fishes, as the spines 

 and rays are subject to considerable variation in specimens of the 

 same species. It has yet to be ascertained whether the orbital 

 tentacle is equally developed in both sexes. 



