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Show 1887.] FISHES F R O M MUSCAT. 663 PEDICULATI. 114. ANTENNARIUS NUMMIFER, CUV. COTTID.E. 115. P L A T Y C E P H A L U S INSIDIATOR, Forsk. 116. TRIGLA ARABICA, sp. n. D. 7-12. A. 12. Length of the head one third of the total ; length of snout once and a half the diameter of the orbit; interorbital space concave, once and one fourth the diameter of the orbit; profile of snout not concave ; praeorbital produced into a flat, triangular spine, the length of which equals one third the diameter of the orbit ; praeoperculum with two small spines, upper largest; operculum with a keel, ending in a strong spine the length of which equals the diameter of the orbit. Supraclavicula with a spine pointing downwards and another, longer, pointing backwards ; the length of the supraclavicula equals that of the opercular spine. Scales very small. Dorsal spines strong, not tubercular, third and fourth longest; the width of the rugose plate at the base of the first dorsal equals two thirds the diameter of the orbit. The pectoral reaches to the vertical of the third anal ray. Upper half of body brownish, with numerous small round blackish spots ; lower half white ; first dorsal with a large black blotch ; second dorsal with a series of round black spots ; the membrane between the pectorals bluish black. Total length 9 inches. A single specimen, in spirit. The discovery of a species of Trigla at Muscat is of special interest, as the genus has not yet been recorded from the east coast of Africa nor from India. The nearest ally of T. arabica is the Japanese T. hemisticta. GoBUDvE. *117. GOBIUS JAYAKARI, sp. n, (Plate LIV. fig. 2.) D. 6 Yo- A- n? L*lat- 65^67' No canine teeth. Length of the head one third of the total without caudal; eye one seventh of the length of the head, nearly equally distant from the end of the snout and from the gill-opening; interorbital space once and a half the diameter of the eye ; maxillary extending to below the eye ; upper jaw longer than lower. Depth of body five and one third to six times in the total length ; sixteen longitudinal series of scales between the second dorsal and the anal; scales on the nape much smaller than those on the sides. The distance between the first dorsal and the eye nearly equals that between the end of the snout and the border of the preeoperculum ; dorsal fins lower than the body. The extremity of the ventral halfway between its base and the vent. Caudalis rounded. Pale brownish |
