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PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Remarks. — Examination of the holotype of A. nutilus (M. C. Z. No. 

 28315) and of Garman's illustration leaves no question as to which 

 species he studied, for the elongate mark below the eye is clearly 

 visible, as is a blackish spot above the middle of the base of the 

 caudal fin. Specimens ranging from the Red Sea to the Phoenix 

 and Samoan Islands, when considered geographically, showed little 

 variation in coloration, body form, and meristic characters. Those 

 from the Red Sea average about one to two gill rakers more than 

 specimens from other areas of the Indo-Pacific (table 5) . Although 



Table 5. 



-Frequency distributions of the total number of gill rakers in four 

 species of Apogon 



Bleeker in his discussion (1854, p. 95) did not mention the char- 

 acteristic mark below the cheek, he did include a rather narrow elon- 

 gate mark in his figure, somewhat similar to that found in nuMlus. 

 It is possible, therefore, that Bleeker may have had specimens of 

 nubilus as well as of bandanensis. The saddles passing through the 

 spiny and soft dorsal fin certainly characterize his bandanensis. 

 Giinther (18Y1) points out that the cheek mark on his Samoan speci- 

 men (21/2 inches in length) was "more distinct" than in specimens 

 (31/^ inches in length) from Manado, Celebes. Since the larger speci- 

 mens had the smaller cheek mark, it is possible that Giinther, too, 

 had nuhilus. 



Several male specimens, 60 to 68 mm. in length, were found prac- 

 ticing oral incubation. 



In summary, it is of interest to note that in the one division of 

 this closely related group {erdmani, bandanensis ., savayensis) differ- 

 entiation has been complete to the species level in three areas, more 



