PEOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 123 



Eahitat.—JIiilnmheiYa, Ternate, Amboyua, Saparua, Batjau, Archip. 

 Molucca, Jobnstou'.s Island. 



Head 3f (4f ) ; deptli 3.^ (4f ) ; leugtli (2G837) 18^ iuclies. D. YIII-I, 

 13; A. II, 12; scales, 8-G6-12. 



Allied to P. ajyproximans, Lay & Beimett, from wliicli it chiefly differs 

 in coloration, uiiniber of anal rays, and in its higher dorsal and anal fins. 

 Body robust, compressed. Snout comparatively blunt; the profile 

 from snout to dorsal gently and regularly curved. IMouth moderate, 

 horizontal ; tip of mandible behind posterior nostril. Maxillary 2 in 

 head. Teeth in a continuous villiform band on palatines and pterygoids, 

 the patch broader, especially on the pterygoids, than in P. approximans^ 

 and much broader than in P. opercular is ; the premaxillary band also 

 broad. Eye in head about 3 J times, interorbital space slightly convex, 4 

 in head. Preopercle with few and irregular serrations. Tooth above the 

 lobe of preopercle well developed. Gill-rakers one-fourth length of max- 

 illary; about 20 on lower limb. 



Scales large, almost smooth. Small scales nearly covering the soft 

 dorsal, anal, and ventral fins; the membraneous flap of the spines of 

 first dorsal scaled, but the connecting membrane entirely naked. Upper 

 ])ectoral rays scaled nearly to their tips; all the rays covered with 

 scales at their base ; upper rays also closely scaled on posterior surface. 

 Dorsal fins well developed; second and third spines longest, If in 

 head, about three-fourths length of longest soft ray. The first two rays 

 of second dorsal longest, about If in head. Caudal large, widely forked, 

 the upper lobe slightly the longer, and one-fourth longer than head. 

 Anal shorter than soft dorsal, the base of the tin three-fourths of its 

 greatest height; when depressed the tips of the two anterior rays ex- 

 tend verv nearly as far as the tip of the last ray ; the free margin of the 

 tin lunate, similar to soft dorsal ; tirst rays four-tifths length of tirst rays 

 of soft dorsal, and 1% in head. First anal spine very small ; second 4^ 

 in head. Ventral tins in head If times. Pectorals If in head; pec- 

 toral filaments G, the superior one longest, 1\ the length of head, reach- 

 ing tip of ventrals. 

 Air-bladder large. 

 Adipose eyelid well developed. 



Color olivaceous, the scales finely punctulate with brown; these 

 punctulations most numerous on the upper and lower margins of the 

 scales, forming longitudinal streaks along the rows of scales. The scales 

 from the snout to the first dorsal, on the belly, and the space between 

 the aual and caudal fins smaller, and on these regions the brown 

 points are aggregated on the margins of the scales, making their out- 

 line conspicuous. Vertical fins dark; margin of dorsals blackish. Pec- 

 toral dark, purplish underneath. Ventrals light, but with some brown 

 punctulations. Preopercle plain except its flap, which, together with the 

 other opercles, is rather dark. 



One fine specimen (26837), 18J inches in length. 



