young; basal radiating striae 8, 4 in young; length 45 
175 mm, (caudal Lipa daneged). 
Xystaema gigas (Gunther). 
Head o 46 Bt: depth 2 7/8 to. 3°2/5;'D. Ik, 10. 1, once 
9, ls A. TIL, 7, 1; scales 40 or 41 in lateral line to caudal 
base and 4 more on latter; 5 or 6 scales above lateral line 
to spinous: dorsal origin, 4 or 5 above to soft dorsal origin, 
9 or 10 below to spinous anal origin; 23 to 29 predorsal scales; 
snout 2 7/8 to 3 1/8 in head; eye 3 1/8 to 3 2/5; mexillary 
23/5 to 2 7/8; interorbital 2 7/8 to 3 1/4. 
Body elongately fusiform, compressed, eek not elevated; 
least depth of caudal peduncle 17 to 1g its length or 2 4/5 
to 3 3/5 in head. Head width 2 to 2 1/8 its length, sSnout 
conic, long as wide, Eye slightly ellipsoid, little elevated, 
hind pupil edge very slightly behind center in head length, 
Mouth small, jaws about even, Maxillary slightly beyond 
front eve edge, not to pupil; expansion 2 2/5 to 2 3/4 in eye. 
Lips coriaceous. ‘+eeth fine, villiform, in rather narrow 
bands in jaws, Nostrilbs moderate, ace thar: and front one lit- 
tle before last fourth in snout, inteverbicad broadly convex, 
with slight median depression. Preopercle and preorbital entire, 
Rakers 67 short rudiments, 2 in filaments, which 24 in 
eye. scales cycloid, in even longitudinal rows, upper parallel 
with lateral line, lower horizontal; broad scaly dorsal and 
anal basal sheaths; axillary ventral scaly flap rod 1/3 tyfo 3/4 of 
