60 TELEOSTEI. ACANTnOPTEBTGII. 



Synopsis of Indian Species. 



A. Dorsal spines 12. 



a. Jnterorbital space scaly. 



Caudal unspotted 1. P. russcllii, p. 60. 



Caudal spotted 2. P. miles, p. 61. 



b. Interorbital space without scales. 



Caudal banded 3. P. zebra, p. 61. 



Caudal spotted 4. P. volitans, p. 02. 



B. Dorsal spines 11 6. P. radiata, p. 63. 



802. (1.) Pterois rnssellii. (Fig. 23.) 



Pterois russellii ( Van Hass.}, Bennett, P. Z. S. 1831, p. 128; Day, 



Fish. India, p. 152, pi. xxxvi, fig. 5 (see synon.). 

 Tambi or Sin toumbi, Tamil. 



D. 12 | 1/11-12. P. 13. A. 3/7-8. C. 14. L. r. 71/66. L.tr. 11/33. 



Length of head 4, height of body 4 in the total length. Eyes 

 diameter 4| to 5 in length of head, 1| diam. from end of snout, 

 and apart. A spiny ridge traverses the preorbital and continues 

 over the cheek to upper preopercular spine, below which there are 

 two or three more on the vertical, and two along the horizontal edge. 



Fig. 23. Pterois russellii. 



A spine at posterior upper angle of orbit and a short supraorbital 

 tentacle. Interorbital space deeply concave, it and occiput scaled. 

 Occipital and temporal ridges spiny ; a small turbinal spine. A 

 rather long fleshy tentacle at angle of preorbital, one at anterior 

 nostril, and several more about the head. Fins dorsal spines 

 increase in length to 5th, which equals height of body and is longer 

 than rays; the pectoral, with its membrane, especially between 

 its four upper rays, deeply cleft, reaches a little beyond base of 

 caudal or even further ; ventral extends to anal rays ; third anal 

 spine longest; caudal pointed. Colour reddish, with 11 or 12 

 borad dark vertical bands, with intermediate narrow ones. A 

 black spot on shoulder behind opercle, no white spot in axilla 



