110 
MEMOII^S OF TRE QVFERSLARB RVSEUU. 
Uses: — No modern writers whom I am al)le to consult speak of this as a 
food-hsh. hut Vajeneiennes publishes the following encomium on its excellence:— 
It is reported to Ix^ the most highly esteemed of all the tishes which are 
commonly eaten in the Indies; they compare its flesh to that of the salmon/^ 
Bemarlvs : — Descilhed from an example measuring ;^21 millim., collected 
by Dr, J. I\. Tosh, and ])resented by him to the Queensland ^Museum. 
HOLACANTHUS SEMICIRCULATUS Cuvier & Valenciennes. 
Holacanihus semicirculatus Cuvier & Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vii, 1831, p. 191, pi. 
elxxxiii ; Lesson and Uuruot, Voy. Coquille, Zool., ii, 1831, p. 173, pi. xxx, fig. 3 ,* Bleeker, 
Nat. Tijd.s. Nederh Indo., viii, 185.5. p. 414; id,, ibid., xv, 1858, p. 200; id., ibid., xix, 
1859, pp. 331, 333; id., ibid., xx, 1859, p. 241 ; Oiinther, Brit. Mus. Catal. Fi.sh. ii, ISCO, 
p. 53 ; Bleeker, Act. Soc. Sci. Indo-Neerl., viii, 1800, Sumatra, p. 20 ; id., ibid., Celebes, 
p, 35 ; id., Npd('rL Tijds. Bierk., i. 1803, p. 270 ; id., ibid., ii, 1805, pp. 148, 190, 287 ; id., 
Versl. Akad. Amsterdam (2) ii, 1868, p. 297 ; Macleay, Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, 
viii, 1883, p. 203 ; Jordan Seale, Bull. U. S. Bur. Fisher., xxv, 1905, p. 349. 
CJhceiodon niicrolcpi-'^ Bleeker, Nat. Tijds. Ncderl. Ind., iv, 1853, p. 257. 
Holacanihus Ihuru Montrouzier, Kssai. Faun. Isle Woodlark, 1857, p. 109. 
Holacanihus rncohariensls part,. Bay, Fisii. India, pt. 1, 1875, p. 112. 
Holacanihus uicoharlensls var. scmicirculntus id., ibid., pi. xxviii, fig. 0 
Acanthociueiodon seinicirculatus Bleeker, Verb. Akad. Amsterdam, xvii, 1877, Chfet., p. 146 ; id., 
Arcli. Neeri. Sci. Nat., xii, 1877, p. 21 ; id.. Atlas Ichth., ix, 1877, p. 69, pi. ccclxx, fig. 5 ; 
id., Arch. Neeri. Sci. Nat., xiii, 1878, p. 45. 
Holacanihus sefnicircularls de Vis, J^roe. Linn. Soc. N. S. Wales, ix, 1884, p. 457. 
Typ c locality: — T i i n o i * . 
Deptli of l)ody t-7 hi its hoigtb ; dorsal and ventral contours sulisyni- 
metrical. the former rather the more elevated, its anterior border linear and 
strongly acclivous to above the posterior border of the eye, thence convex to 
about the 5th dorsal spine, beyond which it curves gently tlownwards to the 
middle of the soft doisal. wheiu'e the descent to the caudal pedmicle is more 
abrupt; ventiad contour (wetdy convex to the vcutrals, thetu'c sulilincar and 
gently declivous to beyond tlie anal spim^s, tium'a* curving n])WMrds to the 
peduncle, the least dcjith of which is 7-2 in the length of tlic body. Length of 
head 1-15 in its depth and o-2 in tlie bodydength. Diameter of eye rather more 
than tlie length of the snout, wiiich is 2*55 in the length of the head; iuterorbital 
regioii convex and moderately elevated, its width 1-2, its height 1-5 in the 
eye-diameter. Jaws equal ; maxillary extending to below tlie posterior nostril. 
Preorbital without denticles, its width about lialf the eye-diameter. Both limbs 
of preojiercle feebly sei*rated, the liinder inclined slightly backward : spine short 
and slightly curved, one fourth (to one thiriP) of the length of tlie head and 
extending to below the middle (or posterior liorder) of the opercle. 
Scales small; sqnamuhe wanting. Lateral line complete and conspicuous. 
Dorsal fin originating aliove the hinder border of the opende, with xiii 
23 rays, the soft portion 1*3 in the spinous: spines graduated, the first modei'ately 
