62 
MEMOIRS OF THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 
The distribution of this genus is most remarkable, as it may be said to have developed 
ontogenetically along the outposts of the group ; first noticed from Japanese seas 
in 1870, it reappeared during the following year in the Red Sea under the new generic 
name Pempherichthys ; next, after an interval of eighteen years, a third species was 
described from Lord Howp Island ; and finally, after a further interval of thirteen 
years, South-Eastern Australia has yielded us yet a fourth species. 
The Atlantic group has followed a somewhat similar but much more restricted 
pne of development. Only three, possibly two. species are recognised, namely — 
P. schomburgki Muller & Troschel, P. mulleri Poey, and P. poeyi Bean ; all are 
natives of Cuba, which should, therefore, be accepted as the centre of Atlantic 
development, from which P. schomburgki has sent out a branch to Barbados, and 
P. mutter i (which is possibly inseparable from the preceding species) another as far 
as the Coast of Brazil. A reference to the key given below will show that the third 
Atlantic species, P. poeyi, is excluded from the genera therein recognised by reason 
of its shortened anal fin, and is apparently developing along the same line as Para - 
priacanthus ; unfortunately neither Bean nor Jordan & Evermann make any specific 
mention of the lepidosis of the anal fin, the inference being that it is scaly. If by 
chance Fowler’s Priacanthopsis , which I have been unable to refer to, be founded 
on this species, I should be inclined to raise it to full generic rank. 
The f amily, as here constituted, consists of four (or five) genera and twenty - 
one (or twenty-two) species. 
Key to the Subfamilies and Genera. 
Pempherin^e : — Lateral line tubes short and wide ; eye large, without adi- 
pose lid ; preorbital entire ; maxillary greatly dilated distally ; 
pterygoids and tongue smooth ; dorsal premedian • anal low, 
originating below or behind dorsal; branc hi os te gals seven; 
gill-rakers numerous and long ; air-bladder large, constricted 
anteriorly ; pyloric caeca well developed ; vertebra increasing in 
length posteriorly. 
a 1 . Body ovate ; preopercle with one to three strong spines at the 
angle ; teeth in the jaws pluriserial ; anal scaly, with more 
than 30 soft rays. 
b 1 . Body scales cycloid and caducous ; dorsal rays v 10 to 13 . . 
b 2 , All the scales ctenoid and persistent ; dorsal rays (v or) vi 9 
or 10 ' 
a 2 . Body subovate ; preopercle entire ; teeth in the jaws uniserial; 
anal naked, with less than 30 rays 
L e pt o b rami N je : — Lateral line tubes long and narrow ; eye small, with 
well developed adipose lid; preorbital serrulate ; maxillary spatu- 
la to, feebly dilating from the front ; pterygoids and tongue 
toothed ; dorsal postmedian ; anal falciform, originating well in 
advance of the dorsal ; bronchi os tegals six ; gill-rakers few and 
short; no air-bladder nor pyloric caeca; vertebrae of similar 
length throughout. 
c 1 . Body elliptical ; scales small and ciliated ; lower limb of preopercle 
serrulate 
1. Liopempheris. 
2. Fempheris. 
3. Parapriacanthus. 
4. Leptobrama.* 
