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Show 244 MR. G. A. BOULENGER ON [Apr. 16, MYLIOBATIDJE. 83. AETOBATIS NARINARI, Euphr. 84. DICEROBATIS EREGOODOO, Cant. 9 feet in diameter. Notes are here appended on some of the fishes described by me as new in my first account, which have been regarded by Mr. Day* as synonyms of previously known species. S E R R A N U S PRCEOPERCULARIS. Six more specimens, adult (up to 28 inches long) and half-grown skins, and half-grown in spirit, having been sent by Mr. Jayakar, I have carefully compared them with the types and with S. morrhua, of which we have now in the Museum five dry specimens, presented by Mr. Jayakar, and two in spirit, from the Red Sea, presented by Dr. Klunzinger. Although very closely allied to <S. morrhua, S. prceopercularis is a perfectly valid species, constant in its coloration. The third dorsal spine at least equals the distance between the upper extremity of the border of the praeoperculum and the extremity of the median opercular spine in S. morrhua; it is considerably shorter in <$. prceopercularis, which, in this respect, agrees with S. latifasciatus. The latter species differs from both in the lower opercular spine being placed much further back than the upper, and in having only 12 to 14 branched dorsal rays2. Excellent figures of half-grown S. morrhua have been given by Steindachner3 under the name of S. brunneus ; but I cannot admit this fish to be the Epinephelus brunneus of Bloch. S E R R A N U S GIBBOSUS. A second specimen, in spirit, has been received. It agrees in every respect with the type. Apart from the coloration, the shorter body distinguishes S. gibbosus from S. striolatus. I cannot understand how its specific distinction from S. altivelis can be questioned, even for a moment. APOGON MAXIMUS. Three more specimens having been sent, I have reinvestigated the character of this beautiful species, which is perfectly distinct from A. bifasciatus. There are constantly 9 branched rays in the anal, instead of 8 as in A. bifasciatus; the second dorsal spine is more than half the length of the third, instead of less than half; the posterior upper border of the maxillary is not overlapped by the suborbital, which tapers below the centre of the eye, whilst in A. bifasciatus the suborbital is wider and overlaps the maxillary throughout. The coloration is very different; and the large size (10 inches) also serves to distinguish A. maximus from A. bifasciatus, which does not exceed a length of 4\ inches. 1 P.Z.S. 1888, p. 258, and Append. Fish. Ind. (1888). '**• The type specimen of S. morrhua, which I have examined in the Paris Museum, has 14 soft rays. Another specimen, likewise from Mauritius, has 15 rays. a Steindachner u. Doderlein, " Fische Japans," Denkschr. Ak. Wein, xlvii. p. 22, pi. v. figs. 1, 2 (1883). |