i94i CATALOGUE OF FISHES OF TORTUGAS 293 



5.4, 4.8, 5.1; caudal peduncle 3.7, 3.5, 3.5; dorsal spine 1.3 in 1 specimen, broken 

 in the others. It is evident from these proportions and those of A. ventralis that 

 the more slender body of the present species is reflected also in the shallower 

 caudal peduncle. 



Atlantic coast of tropical America, northward to New England. S. F. H. 



Alutera ventralis Longley 



Alutera ventralis Longley, Carnegie Inst. Wash. Year Book No. 34, 1935, p. 89 — Tortugas, 

 Florida. Longley and Hildebrand, Carnegie Inst. Wash. Pub. 517, 1940, p. 278, fig. 26. 



Alutera scripta (Osbeck) 



Batistes scriptus Osbeck, Reise Ostind. China, 2d ed., 1765, p. 145 — China. 



Adults were rarely seen, one only being observed on rugged bottom at East 

 Key. The young were found occasionally under floating Sargassum and in 

 mixed Thalassia and Cymodocea which accompany it in shallow water, and 2 

 were taken in the trawl eastward of Bird Key reef. 



For a specimen of 180 mm. in total length, measurements are as follows: 

 Standard length 127 mm.; depth at second dorsal origin 37 mm.; head to pos- 

 terior end of gill opening 43 mm.; gill opening 9 mm.; eye 8 mm.; orbital 

 margin to base of dorsal spine 6 mm. D. I-47; A. 49. 



The young are exceedingly changeable in coloration, as they turn light at 

 once if put in a light dish, or dark if dark objects are put near them. They also 

 turn dark on handling. Their pattern is less changeable than their shade. Body 

 with more or less sharply defined polygons separated by narrow lines in two 

 sets. The longitudinal division, in a specimen 150 mm. long, is effected by eight 

 or nine interrupted bluish lines on deeper part of body, fewer on cheeks and 

 posteriorly, and the transverse divisions are broken light lines; some of the 

 polygons with dark centers, at least in the lighter phases; a triangular white 

 area based on gill opening, extending back horizontally to beneath dorsal fin. 

 In one common color phase there is a dark bar just behind the jaws, bounded 

 posteriorly by a transverse light line; followed by a double bar on the snout, 

 defined by the first and third of the light lines of the transverse series; six dark 

 lines in next group, behind which comes a very broad pale one just before soft 

 dorsal fin; a triple dark group; a double and a single one below soft dorsal fin; 

 and three or four on caudal peduncle; all lost in a somewhat irregular pattern 

 on sides; caudal distinctly barred. 



A filefish, probably this species, about a foot long was seen "floating" head 

 downward, snout at the bottom, in shallow water. Body slight, tail great in pro- 

 portion, it "drifted" away slowly by action of dorsal and anal, without using 

 caudal fin. It was blotched dark and light until struck at, then swam away with 

 exceedingly pale ground color relieved only by profuse speckling of round dark 

 spots. W. H. L. 



The collection contains 5 specimens, 85 to 225 mm. long. The following pro- 

 portions and enumerations are based on the largest specimen: Head, measured 



