The taxonomy of the species of the subfamily Holccentrinae from Japan and some species from the western Pacific is reviewed and keys to the following fourteen species of Adioryx and four species of Flammeo are presented: Adioryx furcatus, A.spinifer, A.caudimaculatus, A.cornutus, A.spinosissimus, A.ruber, A.lacteoguttatus, A.tiere, A.diadema, A.ittodai, Flammeo argenteus, F.sammara, F.opercularis, F.scythrops from Japan; Adioryx violaceus, A.microstomus, A.tiereoides from outside of Japan; and a new species Adioryx dorsomaculatus from Japan.

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Three species of trunkfishes (Ostraciidae) were studied in the waters of Miyakejima, Izu Islands, Japan.Intensive studies of Lactoria fornasini and less detailed, comparative studies of Lactoria diaphanus and Ostracion cubicus revealed that all three species are haremic and seemingly gonochoristic, although only L.fornasini was examined histologically. Lactoria diaphanus and Ostracion cubicus spawn near, the surface in the late afternoon, but Lactoria fornasini spawns 10-20 min after sunset near the substrate.It is hypothesized that predator pressures account for differences between species, and in the femalebiased sex ratios of all three species.The role of ostracitoxin, a lethal stress secretion in the mucus of ostraciid fishes, is discussed in relation to predation.

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Spawing behavior and early life history of Lutjanus kasmira (Forsskål) is described from aquarium observations in 1976.The pesent paper deals with the first record of spawn-ing behavior and early life history among the family Lutjanidae.Spawning of L.kasmira took place between plueral males and females in the early hours of the night in mid-August when water temperatures ranged from 22.3°C to 25.0°C.Fertilized eggs are buoyant, spherical, and colorless, measuring 0.78mm-0.85mm in diameter, and containing a single oil globule.Hatching takes place 18 hours after fertilization.Newly hatched larvae measure about 1.83 mm in total length and have a large ellipsoid yolk.An oil globule is situated at the front tip of the yolk.Early larval stages of L.kasmira are described for the first 3 days after hatching.

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The circulatory systems of Channa maculata and C.argus were studied using the resin injection method.The heart has two aortae separately emerging from the bulbus arteriosus.A part of the blood ejected from the ventricle enters the anterior ventral aorta, and is sent to the 1st and 2nd branchial arches where it releases carbon dioxide into the water.It is then collected in the efferent branchial arteries and is again scattered into the numerous capillaries of the suprabranchial organ where it is fully oxygenated.The oxygenated blood is drained into the anterior cardinal vein and is returned to the heart through the venous system.The other part of the blood enters the posterior ventral aorta and is sent to the 3rd and 4th branchial arches.It passes the gills and goes to the lateral dorsal aortae to be engaged in the systemic circulation.The 4th branchial arch is much reduced.The inner hemibranch of it is composed mainly of clustered loops of shunt vessels whereas the outer hemibranch has a few small filaments.The heart lacks the sino-atrial valves.

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The oral mucosa and the teeth of Lampetra japonica during metamorphosis were studied with scanning electron microscope to elucidate the details of the surface structure.In ammocoete larvae, the oral cirri located below the oral hood consist of many branches and are covered entirely by minute microvilli and a few ciliary bundles.In conjunction with the metamorphosis, the oral cirri differentiate into a small number of branched papillae and develop further into truncated ones.Simultaneously, the microvilli covering the oral mucosa transform into microridges in a labyrinthine pattern and finally into network-like microridges.Differentiation and eruption of horny teeth occur in the stage of the late macrophthalmia.The surface of the newly formed primary cornified layer is equipped with microridges and microrecesses as seen in that of the adult lamprey.Compared with those of other vertebrates possessing keratinized spines, the teeth of lamprey seem to be highly specialized in histological structure.

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The genus Sicydium was established by Valenciennes (1837) with Gobius plumieri Bloch as its type species. Sicyopterus was first established by Gill (1861) as a subgenus of the genus Sicydium with Sicydium stimpsoni Gill as its type species, and later raised to a generic level by Bleeker (1874).Since then the two generic names, Sicydium and Sicyopterus have been used for the type species of the genus Sicyopterus.
Sicydium and Sicyopterus were insufficiently diagnosed by Gill (1861), Bleeker (1874 and 1876).and Koumans (1931), so that the characteristics given by them do not agree.
Our comprehensive study of the type species of the two genera, Sicydium cocoensis (Heller et Snodgrass), Sicyopterus japonicus (Tanaka), Sicyopterus macrostetholepis (Bleeker), Sicyopterus parvei (Bleeker), and Sicyopterus pugnans (Grant) revealed that the characteristic differences of these species are divided into three levels as follows.The two species of the genus Sicydium and the five species of the genus Sicyopterus are distinguishable at level I.The characteristic differences between them are shown as A and B in Table 3.At level II on the one hand the two species of the genus Sicydium are distinguishable in that their characteristic differences are the presence or absence of a median cleft in the upper lip, of a fleshy tubercle behind the cleft, of the middle pore N of the preopercular canal, and of the ctenoid scales, which are expressed as C and D in Table 2.On the other hand Sicyopterus pugnans and the four other species of the genus Sicyopterus are distinguishable by the presence or absence of a median cleft in the upper lip, of the projections lining the edge of the upper lip, of a fleshy tubercle behind the cleft, of the ridge with protuberances inside the upper lip, by the tips of the teeth in the upper jaw being divided into two or three, by the presence or absence of the flapped lateral lower lip, and by the row of labial teeth being extended or not beyond the last tooth of the upper jaw, which are expressed as E and F in Table 2.At level III the four species of the genus Sicyopterus are distinguishable by the widely or closely set papillae between the band of papillae on the lower lip and the labial teeth, and the differences of fin ray and scale counts, which are expressed as G, H, I, and J in Table 2.Since the differences at level I are sufficiently remarkable to be of generic level, the genus Sicyopterus should be separated from the genus Sicydium, so that A and B in Table 3 become the diagnostic characters of the two genera.However, some of the characteristic differences shown in Table 3 might have to be omitted when more species of the two genera are examined.

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In recent years, studies of the reproductive behavior of various species of anemonefishes have shown a high degree of similarity be-tween species (Allen, 1972;Fricke, 1974;Bell, 1976;Moyer and Bell, 1976;Ross, 1978).Characteristically, anemonefishes lay their eggs on coral or rocky substrate directly under the extended tentacles of the host anemone.Amphiprion polymnus (Linnaeus) shows unique differences in methods of nest construction compared to other anemonefishes. The present paper reports on these differences.

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