OCELLATED DRAGONET. 



121 



others of the genus ; flattish on the top ; with the 

 snout obtuse : eyes small and lateral : mouth small, 

 with tumid, fleshy lips, the upper one doubled : gill- 

 covers sharp, armed by a simple spine, and punctat- 

 ed on their membrane : first dorsal fin, in the male, 

 minute, entirely black, with setaceous, flexile rays : 

 in the female broad, the connecting membrane 

 being marked on its lower part by dusky bars in- 

 cluded by a white line edged with black ; and on 

 its upper part by eye-shaped spots black in the 

 middle, surrounded by a white circle edged with 

 black : the second dorsal fin is more shallow, and 

 of a dusky colour, marked with white parallel lines : 

 pectoral fins hyaline, spotted with white at their 

 base ; their rays twice barred with brown ; the two 

 middle rays being longer than the rest : ventral fins 

 large, laciniate, black, with a white border, and 

 very thick rays which are very much branched : 

 vent fin serrated, black, with white base ; the two 

 first rays setaceous, the rest bifid : vent situated a 

 little before the middle of the abdomen, and behind 

 it, in the female, is a small conical peduncle recum- 

 bent in a fossule ; lateral line strait : tail rounded : 

 spotted with white at the base ; the rays barred or 

 interrupted with brown. 



