APOGONID FISHES OF THE INDO-PACIFIC — LACHNER 583 



The literature concerning the species of Archamia is extremely 

 confusing. At least 11 specific names can probably be referred to 

 this genus, 5 of which are now placed in synonymy. Most of these 

 species were described with little detail, the critical characters were 

 not analyzed, and the diagnoses were so incomplete as to render the 

 accounts indistinguishable and useless. Six distinct species are here- 

 in recognized. The genus is found in the tropical and subtropical 

 marine waters of the Indo-Pacific, from the east African coast to 

 islands of Oceania, but is not yet known from the Hawaiian Islands. 



No significant differences were found in an analysis of the follow- 

 ing characters for all the species: Lateral line scales ranging from 

 22 to 26; scales above the lateral line 2; scales below the lateral line 

 6 or 7 ; dorsal fin rays VI-I, 9 ; pectoral rays 13 to 15. The key sum- 

 marizes the salient differences among the species. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF ARCHAMIA 



la. Body with narrow horizontal stripes in preserved specimens, situated along 

 the ruiddorsal line, dorsolaterally and on mldside of body ; soft anal rays 

 range from 12 to 13 ; round, blackish spot at base of caudal fin about 



equal to size of pupil A. buruensis (Bleeker) 



lb. Body without horizontal stripes in preserved specimens; soft anal rays 

 range from 13 to 18; spot, at base of caudal, variable in size and some- 

 times obsolete. 

 2«. A broad, brownish-black, slightly oblique band encircling body and ex- 

 tending from soft dorsal to belly, its horizontal width about 1.5 to 2.5 

 in head length ; no dark humeral spot at junction of gill opening and 

 body, and no dark spot on body just posterior to opercular flap ; soft anal 

 rays range from 14 to 16; brownish-black caudal spot smaller than 



diameter of pupil A. zosterophora (Bleeker) 



2?>. No band present ; a black humeral spot or dusky spot on body just 



posterior to operculum ; soft anal fin rays range from 16 to 18. 



3fl. A dusky, diffuse spot or blotch more or less irregular, and deeper than 



wide, on body just posterior to opercular flap and below lateral line ; 



a diffuse, dark-brown to blackish circular spot at base of caudal fin, 



its diameter about equal to diameter of eye. 



A. dispilus, new species 



3&. An intense, circular to squarish, black humeral spot at junction of gill 



opening and body, the lateral line passing through middle of spot; 



an intense, sharp, round, black spot at midbase of caudal fin, its 



diameter slightly larger than pupil and twice in diameter of eye. 



A. big'uttata, new name 

 2c. No band on body ; no dark humeral spot or dusky spot on body just pos- 

 terior to operculum ; brownish-black spot at base of caudal fin larger 

 than diameter of pupil, but usually smaller than diameter of eye, 

 sometimes diffuse to obsolete. 

 4f/. Number of soft anal rays averages higher than 16, ranges from 15 to 

 18 ; total number of gill rakers averages fewer than 21 ; total 

 number of gill rakers minus number of soft anal rays equals 5 or 

 fewer ; spot at base of caudal fin dusky, diffuse and large in adults, 

 its vertical diameter about 1.5 in least depth of caudal peduncle. 



A. fucata (Cantor) 



