FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 78, NO. 2 



Figure 22. — Plectropomus melanoleucus, 492 mm SL, Enewetak, Marshall Islands. 



black saddlelike bars, scattered small blue spots, 

 and yellow fins has been regarded as a color phase 

 of P. maculatus (Bloch) by a number of authors 

 from Boulenger (1895) to Smith and Smith (1963). 

 Plectropomus melanoleucus, however, is a valid 

 species. In addition to color, it differs from P. 

 maculatus (and P. leopardus and truncatus) by 

 usually having 17 instead of 16 pectoral rays. 



This species is rare in Oceania. Only a single 

 specimen, 506 mm SL, 2.95 kg, was taken at 

 Enewetak during the ciguatera survey. Its viscera 

 produced a reaction of 2 when fed to a mongoose. 



Its stomach was empty. 



Plectropomus truncatus Fowler (Figure 23): 

 Like P. leopardus, this grouper has dark-edged 

 blue spots, but the spots are larger in fishes of 



about the same size. The best field character to 

 distinguish this species is its truncate caudal fin. 



One specimen (384 mm SL, 1.45 kg) from 

 Enewetak produced a ciguatoxic reaction of 2; its 

 stomach was empty. 



Hiatt and Strasburg(1960) reported one of three 

 specimens of this grouper collected at Enewetak 

 with a holocentrid fish in its stomach. 



Variola louti (Forsskal) (Figure 24): This color- 

 ful grouper is yellowish brown to orange, profusely 

 spotted with blue or pink (blue from shallow wa- 

 ter, pink in deeper water), with broad zones of 

 yellow posteriorly on the median and pectoral fins. 

 Apart from color, it is readily distinguished by its 

 deeply concave caudal fin. It is usually found on 

 outer reefs at depths >15 or 20 m. 



Figure 23. — Plectropomus truncatus, 350 mm SL, Enewetak, Marshall Islands. 



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