OCR Text |
Show 700 MR. F. DAY ON NEW INDIAN FISHES. [June 27, Fins. Dorsal spines moderately strong, and nearly as high as the rays, the interspinous membrane but slightly emarginate. Anal- first spine half as long as the second, which is of equal length but weaker than the third. Caudal wedge-shaped, its central rays being slightly the longest. Scales small. The lateral line is parallel with the back in the upper third of the body. Colours. For the most part greenish olive, becoming dull yellow on the abdomen. An irregularly shaped, broad, whitish blue band passes from the posterior superior margin of the orbit across the occiput to meet a similar one from the opposite side. Two more pass from the lower and posterior margins of the orbit to the base of the pectoral fin. Another proceeds from the upper margin of the praeopercle, at first backwards; and opposite the posterior third of the pectoral it curves upwards to the middle of the hard dorsal, on to which it is continued. A small patch of colour similar to these bands is present in front of the base of the dorsal. Another band proceeds from the posterior extremity of the pectoral to the anterior portion of the soft dorsal. Two more similar vertical bands cross the base of the tail, and several shorter marks exist over the body. Hard dorsal nearly black ; soft dorsal and other fins yellow. Eye golden. SERRANUS GRAMMICUS, sp. nov. B.vii. D. 11/12. P. 19. V. 1/5. A. 3/8. C. 17. L. 1. 90. Length of specimen 15 inches. Length of head f, of pectoral \, of base of dorsal spines nearly |, of base of dorsal rays \, of base of anal 4>, of caudal i- of the total length. Height of head i}, of body f-, of dorsal spines ^ L , of dorsal rays a little more than $, of anal spines y1^, of anal rays 4) of the total length. Eye. Upper margin close to the profile ; diameter A of length of head, 1 diameter apart, 1^ diameter from end of snout. Body rather elongated; dorsal and anal profiles equally convex. Cleft of mouth rather deep; posterior extremity of upper jaw extending to beneath the posterior margin of the orbit. Vertical limb of pra?opercle slightly produced at its angle, finely serrated in its upper two-thirds, becoming coarser lower down, and with five moderately large denticulations at its angle ; horizontal limb entire, as are also the sub- and interopercles. Operculum with three spines, the central one of which is much the strongest. Teeth villiform in both jaws, becoming most developed in the centre, and a small canine on either side of the upper jaw. Villiform teeth on vomer and palate in size about equal to the smallest on the jaws. Fins. Dorsal spines moderately strong, the fourth being the longest, the last being two-thirds the height of the first ray; the soft portion of the fin slightly rounded posteriorly. Pectoral rounded. |