156 THE SHORE FISHES. 



Alticus biseriatus (Cuvier & Valenciennes). 



Salarias biserialm Cuv. & Val., Hist. Nat. Poiss., 1828, 11, p. 316 (2.34). Gu.n-ther, Fische der Sudsee, 

 1877, 6, p. 208. 



Plate 7, fig. 2. 



Six specimens Ig to 2^ inches long from Manga Reva. M. C. Z. 29408 

 (2 specimens). 



The following cqlor note in bottle with specimens: — "General color 

 brownish; spots below 1st dorsal dark brown; black on crest and fins, lighter 

 vermiculations under second dorsal, pearly." 



The largest specimen, a male, 2u inches long, has the following measure- 

 ments: — Head 4.5 in total length without caudal; depth 5.75; eye 4.00 in 

 head; D. XII, 20; A. 22; soft dorsal separate from caudal fin; interorbital 

 very narrow; ocular cirrus long and fringed on both sides; nasal cirrus small 

 and simple; none on nape; crest well developed. 



Color in alcohol, head purplish gray above, very light below, the gray of top 

 of head extending as narrowing streaks across the cheeks, gill-membranes and 

 opercles; two streaks starting at lower posterior margin of eye, extending 

 obliquely backward, uniting behind corner of mouth into a single dark line; a 

 dark line from each corner of mouth on throat, converging posteriorly but not 

 quite meeting; in front of these two similar lines meeting; about eight narrow 

 dark lines or bars across upper lip; crest blue-gray with twelve or fourteen small 

 round black spots on its posterior two thirds and one on anterior portion, a jet 

 black pale edged margin above the posterior spots; pectoral pale, finely punctu- 

 late with dusky ; spinous dorsal gray with about six large, poorly defined brown 

 spots along base, and a broad irregular brown narrowly pale edged margin, 

 membranes with numerous small brown spots and dots; soft dorsal grayish 

 with a margin similar to spinous dorsal and numerous narrow white lines run- 

 ning obliquely downward and forward; anal pale at base, outer two thirds 

 dusky; caudal with a brown spot at base of middle rays, base of caudal other- 

 wise yellowish, remainder translucent, crossed about its middle with a broad 

 faint brown bar, the lower rays and terminal margin broadly dusky; belly plain 

 white; back and sides, anterior margins of soft dorsal and anal gray with num- 

 erous round brownish spots, around which the ground color makes pale vermicu- 

 lations; about four pairs of broad irregular brown cross-bars on body under 

 soft dorsal and on caudal peduncle; commencing just back of a point above the 

 origin of anal is a longitudinal series of short white lines and spots which termi- 



