!8o PAPERS FROM TORTUGAS LABORATORY vol. xxxiv 



This species, as stated (see p. 177), usually seems to have 1 or 2 more rays in 

 the pectoral fin than the other species. 



Bermuda and Florida to Panama. S. F. H. 



Pomacentrus partitus Poey 



Pomacentrus partitus Poey, Repertorio, vol. 2, 1868, p. 327 — Cuba. 



Pomacentrus freemani Beebe and Tee-Van, Zoologica, vol. 10, 1928, p. 196, with fig. — 

 Port-au-Prince Bay, Haiti. 



One specimen, 100 mm. long, was taken in 40 fathoms. Others, sometimes 

 singly and rarely more than 2 or 3 together, were seen about the shoals, reefs, 

 and elsewhere. Once only it was found in relative abundance, when it was breed- 

 ing in 12 to 15 feet of water; a dozen were visible in a small area northwest of 

 Southwest Key. 



Commonly the body and vertical fins are black to base of 1st ray of soft dorsal 

 and to anal ray 4th from last; the remainder of dorsal and anal fins and the 

 entire caudal white; pectorals yellow, narrowly black on base, with no black in 

 axil, and no black spots or ocelli anywhere. Of 2 seen together, 1 was much 

 lighter over the fore part of the body. The belly is sometimes light as well as 

 the hind part of the body, of which the hue may be creamy instead of white, and 

 verge toward yellow on the lobes of vertical fins. 



The eggs are guarded as usual in this genus. One nest was hidden away in a 

 millepore base standing on a coral head a yard high. The eggs were attached by 

 filaments in a tuft at the larger end. They were almost transparent, faintly straw- 

 colored; and were 0.74 mm. long, and in greatest breadth 0.43 mm. 



West Indies to Florida and the Bahamas. W. H. L. 



Pomacentrus planifrons Cuvier and Valenciennes 



Pomacentrus planifrons Cuvier and Valenciennes, Hist. nat. poiss., vol. 5, 1830, p. 431 — 



Martinique. 

 Eupomacentrus chrysus Bean, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 19, 1906, p. 32 — Whites 



Flat Channel, Bermuda; Field Columbian Mus., Zool. Ser., vol. 7, 1906, p. 6r, fig. 4. 



Fairly common; almost confined to coral. 



The young are saffron yellow with one large black spot on dorsal fin and back, 

 and another forming a saddle above lateral line on caudal peduncle. The anterior 

 one is bisected by the 1st soft ray of the dorsal; both may be ocellated or semi- 

 ocellated with blue. Blue spotting in general is much less conspicuous than in 

 Pomacentrus leucostictus and P. xanthurus. Very early in life dusky lines fol- 

 lowing the oblique scale rows down and forward begin to dim the yellow of back 

 and side. At last all goes except a spot above eye and a narrow bar behind pec- 

 toral base. The black of the adult, though somber, is more lustrous than the black 

 of P. adustus. It is not very changeable, nor yet wholly stable, as in fish which are 

 chasing or being chased the color may pale dorsally. 



The eggs of this species measure about 0.9 by 0.45 mm. Each contains an oil 

 droplet about 0.25 mm. in diameter. In early stages of development they are 

 almost colorless, and similar to those of P. xanthurus. The behavior of the 

 guardian planifrons male proved so informative that the eggs came promptly to- 



