SOLENOSTOMA. 
103 
others occur on the anterior border of the fin, near the ends of the 
rays, at the base of the fin, and on the surface of the fin along the 
lines of the rays. Similar soft dermal papillae occur on the elevated 
basal portions of the second dorsal and anal fins, but not on the free 
portions of these fins nor on the pectoral fin. Finally a few small 
papillae are found on the caudal fin, the free border of which, like the 
first dorsal and the ventrals, is laciniate. Some of the papillae are 
compound, bifid, or trifid. Sometimes they are visibly constricted 
at the base, indicating that they are deciduous ; some were found 
loose in the tube which contained the specimen. 
The general surface of the body is spinose, with three longitudinal 
rows of small recurved spines segmentally arranged on each side. 
The spines are larger, and the three parallel rows are closer together 
on the caudal peduncle. In the region comprised between the hinder 
angle of the first dorsal and the front edge of the second dorsal there 
Fig. 1.— S. laciniatum. Diagram showing arrangement of lateral 
dermal spines and papillse between the first dorsal (ID) 
and the second dorsal (HD) fins. 
are twelve spines in the dorsal row, seven in the central row, and 
twelve in the ventro-lateral row. Following close upon four of the 
spines in the central row are to be found, on each side of the body, 
four large dermal papillse (see diagram). 
The colour markings, after preservation, appear as an irregular 
labyrinthine network formed by anastomosing tracts of dark con¬ 
tracted pigment cells, both on the snout and on the body. When 
alive, as stated above, the predominant colour was brilliant scarlet 
with orange marbling. The pectoral, second dorsal, and anal fins 
are absolutely hyaline—a condition which conspires with the general 
scheme of colouration and laciniation to produce harmonious relations 
with the environment. This fact is not brought out in published 
figures.* It renders the essential organs of locomotion chro¬ 
matically non-existent, and comparable in this respect with the 
condition met with in the “ Leaf Fish,” the yearling stage of the 
* Cf. Playfair and Guenther. The fishes of Zanzibar. London, 1866, p. 137, 
PI. XX., figs. 2 and 3 (/S', cyanopterum ). 
Q 
7(14)09 
