63 



cleft ; ventrals reach anal rays ; third anal spine longest, three 

 fourths as high as the first dorsal spine ; caudal rather rounded or 

 wedge-shaped. Colour reddish, with vertical brown bands and 

 narrow pale lines intervening; three or four broad stripes radiate 

 from the eye ; one passes over the nape. A black mark in the 

 axilla, having a pure white spot in its centre. Dorsal spines 

 anrmlated with black ; soft dorsal, caudal, and anal spotted ; pec- 

 toral greyish with light coloured spots ; ventral slate-coloured 

 with white spots. 



Hob. TCed Sea, east coast of Africa, through the seas of India 

 to Australia. 



806. (5.) Pterois radiata. 



Fterois radiata (Park.}, Ouv. fy Vol. H. N. Poiss. iv, p. 369. 

 Pterois cincta, Riippell, N. W,, Fisohe, p. 103, t. 26, fig. 3 ; Day, Fish. 

 India, p. 15i, pi. xxxvii, fig. 3, Suppl. p. 788 (see synon.). 



D.ll | 1/11-12. P. 16. A. 3/6. C. 15. L.I. 25. L. r. 45. L. tr. 7/25. 



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

 diameter 3| in length of head. 1 diam. from end of snout, and 

 | apart. Interorbital space very concave. Tentacle above the 

 orbit long, and reaching as far as the end of the snout. Margin 

 of orbit serrated; occipital and temporal ridges spiny; other 

 bones about the head comparatively feebly armed; several fleshy 

 tentacles on the head ; long ones on the snout. Fins eighth to 

 ninth dorsal spines the highest ; pectoral reaches end of caudal. 

 Scales on nape. Colour snout uncoloured ; a deep brown band 

 edged with white extends from the eye to the angle of the inter- 

 opercle ; the second encircles the neck, and there are six more on 

 the body, which looks as if it were traversed vertically by narrow 

 milk-white bands. A dark band at the base of the pectoral, which 

 is also stained in its outer half ; a blackish mark in the axilla with- 

 out any white spot. Ventral greyish, its spine white; caudal 

 spotted. 



Hob. Keel Sea, Andamans to the Malay Archipelago and beyond. 



5. Genus APISTUS, Cuv. 

 Syn. Pterichthys, Swainson ; Polemius, Kaup. 



Branchiostegals six. Head and body rather compressed. No 

 groove across occiput. Strong and sharp preorbital and preoper- 

 cular spines : opercles armed. A mandibular barbel. Villiform 

 teeth in jaws, vomer, and palate. A single dorsal fin with more 

 spines than rays; three anal spines ; pectoral elongate and having 

 a free ray at its base. Articulated fin-rays branched. Scales 

 present. Air-bladder with a constriction. A cleft behind the 

 fourth gill. 



Geographical Distribution. From the Eed Sea through the seas of 

 India. 



