PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 127 



8.— HOLOCENTEUS ERYTHR.EUS Giinther. 



Eoloccntmm erythrwiim Gthr. Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus. 1, 32, 1859 (Sea of S. Cliristoval); 

 Gthr. Jour. Mus. Godeff. Fische der Siidsee, 99, 1873 (Soliman, New Hebrides, 

 Hervey, Kingsmill, Society, Paumatu, and Sandwich Islands). 



Hahitat—Solimnu, New Hebrides, Hervey, Kingsmill, Society, Pau- 

 matu, Sandwich, and Johnston's Islands. 



Head 2f (3|); depth 2f (3^); D. XI, 14; A. IV, 9; scales 3-50-6. 



Body more elongate than in E. leo. Proiile gently curved. Snout 

 rather pointed, slightly shorter than eye, 4 in head. Mouth somewhat 

 oblique; jaws about equal; maxillary extends to posterior margin of 

 pupil, and is 2^ in head; eye large, 3'^ in head; interorbital space 5^ in 

 head ; intermaxillary groove slightly longer than diameter of eye. " The 

 infraorbital bone has a rather short tooth in front of the supplementary 

 bone of the maxillary, and another rather smaller one beneath anterior 

 half of orbit; between them are five or seven small ones" [Giinther). 

 The remainder of the orbital rim is broad, with four or five serrate lobes. 

 Occipital region with fan-like striations which end in points. Posterior 

 part of supraorbital with small, distinct spines. Suprascapula striate, 

 each stria ending in a point ; otherwise the shoulder girdle is smooth. 

 Preopercular spine variable, If to 2 in posterior edge of preopercle; 

 upright limb of preopercle serrate, slightly convex, and slants back- 

 ward a very little. Opercle striate, dentate, and having two spines, the 

 upper one larger. Sub- and interopercle serrate only on posterior half, 

 occasionally smooth. 



Spinous part of dorsal fin rather low, first spine 1 J in highest, which 

 is 23 in depth of body ; third, fourth, and fifth are highest, the spines 

 evenly decreasing to the last, which is five-sevenths of first; soft part 

 higher than spinous, its margin describing a nearly perpendicular line, 

 the first ray unbranched, second ray highest, 1| in depth of body, thence 

 regularly decreasing in height to the last, which is 3f in first. 



Caudal well forked, npper lobe longer, If in head. Anal similar to 

 soft dorsal; third anal spine large, 1^ in head ; fourth slender; 1^ in third. 

 Ventrals 1§ in head ; pectorals If. 



Color, in spirits, light olivaceous with indistinct bands along the sides; 

 superiorly these bands are dark, caused by puuctulatious beneath <-he 

 scales, the scales themselves evenly and very fineiy punctulate ; above 

 anal a few narrow, silvery bands, the scales not punctate in this region. 

 The spinous dorsal is marked by a series of roundish, white spots along 

 middle of fin, and a triangular white spot behind tip of each spine ; the 

 fins otherwise uniform. Peritoneum light. 



"This species appears to be near H. inccUopterum^ from which, how- 

 ever, it differs in several respects * * * ; from H. Here it may be dis- 

 tinguished by eleven dorsal spines, and from H. ticroides by a greater 

 number of scales in the lateral line." [GUnther.) 

 Two fine specimens (26813), 11 inches long. 



