604 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. loi 



or less, of the Indo-Pacific (the Red Sea, East Indies-Philippines, and 

 Oceania). In the other division a single species exists throughout 

 the Indo-Pacific with possible racial differentiation in the Red Sea. 



STUDIES OF THE GENUS PARAMIA 

 Genus PARAMIA Bleeker 



Paramia Bleeker, 1863, p. 233. (Genotype, Cheilodipterus quinquelineatua 



Cuvier and Valenciennes.) 

 Jadamga Schultz, 1940, p. 416. (Genotype, Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus 



Cuvier and Valenciennes.) 



The genus Paramia is most closely related to Gheilodi'pterus Lace- 

 pede and Cheilodipterops Schultz. One or two symphyseal canines 

 are present on each side of the tip of the lower jaw in the latter 

 genus, these being absent in the former. The villiform teeth of the 

 lower jaw in Paramia extend from the symphysis posteriorly, inter- 

 rupted on each side by 2 to 6 enlarged canines. In this and other 

 characters it is nearly identical with Cheilodipterops. In Cheilodip- 

 terus the band of villiform teeth in the lower jaw is wanting. 



It is interesting to note the addition of a new species from the 

 Persian Gulf to this genus, hitherto known as monotypic. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF PARAMIA 



la. A black circular spot on dorsal side of caudal peduncle just before procurrent 

 rays of caudal fin, with diameter about six times in least depth of caudal 

 peduncle; five horizontal stripes on the body, counting the stripe on the 

 midventral area located between pelvic bases, and the one on the mid- 

 dorsal side; snout shorter, length 2.8 to 8.0 in length of base of dorsal 

 fin; least depth of caudal peduncle, in snout, extends well beyond tip; 

 eye smaller, about 1.0 in snout, 3.2 to 8.5 in head length, 2.9 to 3.0 in 

 length of base of dorsal fin; black spot at base of caudal fin oval and 

 larger, greatest diameter less than 2.5 in least depth of caudal peduncle. 



P. bipunctata, new species 



1&. No spot on dorsal side of caudal peduncle; six horizontal body stripes, 

 counting midventral and middorsal stripes ; snout longer, length less than 

 2.5 in length of base of dorsal fin ; caudal peduncle depth in snout usually 

 touches tip or extends only slightly beyond snout; eye larger, about 0.9 

 in snout, 3.0 to 8.3 in head length, 2.2 to 2.8 in length of base of dorsal 

 fin ; black si)ot at base of caudal fin nearly circular and smaller, diameter 

 more than 3.0 in least depth of caudal peduncle. 



P. quinquelineata (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 



PARAMIA BIPUNCTATA, new species 



Plate 18, d 



Holotype.—U.S.^M. No. 147944, a specimen 47 mm. in standard 

 length, collected by Donald S. Erdman, June 7, 1948, in Tarut Bay, 

 Ras Tanura, Persian Gulf, Saudi Arabia. 



