A NEW SPECIES OF TERAPONIDAE FROM CHINA

In this paper a new species of Teraponidae Perciformes, collected from the Qinglan Harbour of Hainan Island in the winter of 1955 and 1956 is described. Holotype specimens are kept in the Institute of Oceanology, Academia Sinica.Helotes qinglanensis, sp. nov. (fig. 1) D. Ⅺ-Ⅰ-10, A. Ⅲ-10, P. 15, Ⅴ. 1-5, C. 17. Vertebae 11 + 14. Scales in L.1. 88-9513-16\23-25, Gill rakers 3-8 + 13-15. Depth 3.5-3.7 in standard length, head 3.7-4.1; Snout 3.1-3.8 in head, eye 2.9-3.3Body oblong, more or less compressed, dorsal and ventral profile equally conv-exed. Head small, with 3 low bony ridges on the occiput. Mouth small. Teeth flattened, tricuspid, in several rows in jaws. Vomer and palatine toothless. Posttemp- oral hidden by skin, the upper and hind margin of cleitheum serrated and exposed. The present species resembles Helotes sexlineatus (Quoy et Gaimard) in general body form, but differs from it in having 8-9 transverse bands on the body and without an oval bloch on the shoulder; the latter species has only 4-6 dark longitudinal bands on the body an oval blotch on the shoulder.