64 ZOOLOGISCHE MEDEDEELINGEN — DEEL VI. 



V. — CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF INDO-AUSTRA- 



LIAN FISHES. 



BY MAX WEBER AND L. F. DE BEAUFORT. - II '). 



1. About the nomenclature of the species of Fistularia. 



The species of Fistularia' have caused much trouble and misunder- 

 standing as to their proper names. 



Formerly there were 2 species known, in Günther's Catalogue 2 ) 

 distinguished as F. tabaccaria L. and F. serrata Cuv. 



F. tabaccaria is restricted to the tropical Atlantic and easily distin- 

 guished by the upper lateral edge of the snout (formed by the pre- 

 frontal and metapterygoid) which is nearly smooth, being only slightly 

 crenulated in the adult, and by the blue spots and 'stripes on the upper 

 parts of head and body. 



F. serrata Cuv. is immaculate, the upper lateral edge of the snout 

 sharply serrated and its habitat in all tropical seas. 



In 1880 G ünth er 3 ) found, that his F. serrata Cuv. contained two 

 different species, which he separated on the following characters : 



„Interorbital space concave: the two middle ridges on the upper 

 surface of the snout, run close and parallel to each other along the an- 

 terior half of the length of the snout. Body moderately depressed with 

 minute asperities, which render the skin rough to the touch". F. serrata. 



„Bones of the head less deeply sculptured than in Fistularia serrata, 

 but with the upper lateral edges of the snout likewise serrated. Interor- 

 bital space nearly flat. The two middle ridges on the upper surface of 

 the snout are not very close together, and diverge again on the anterior 

 half of the length of the snout, converging finally on the foremost part. 

 Body much depressed, nearly smooth, the asperities of the skin being 

 scarcely perceptible" F. depressa. 



It was correct, that Jordan & Evermann 4 ) chose an other 

 name for F. serrata Cuv. sensu Gunt h er, as it could not be made out, 

 which of the two species of Günther had to be understood under the 

 original name of Cuvier. The american authors applied therefore the 



1) The first "Contribution" appeared in „Verhand. Kon. Akademie van Wetenschappen", 

 Amsterdam XVII. N°. 3, Nov. 1912. 



2) Günther, Cat. Brit. Mus. III. 1859—1861, p. 529 and 533. 



3) Günther, Challenger Report vol. VI, 1880, Shore fishes, p. 68 & 69. 



4) Jordan & Evermann, Fishes North and Middle America I, 1896, p. 758. 



