Jordan aiid Evcnnann. — Fishes of North America. 1611 



jaw, the other teeth increasing in length anteriorly, but not nearly equal- 

 ing anterior pair; no posterior canines. Scales on breast and nape re- 

 duced in size, the latter continuous over the median line of nape, in about 

 7 rows in front of dorsal; about 10 oblique rows on breast; 27 or 28 trans- 

 verse rows on sides; 2 full series of scales above lateral line, and 4 or 5 

 small scales along base of fin. Depth of caudal peduncle 2i in head ; outer 

 caudal lobes greatly produced, i;^ in head, the middle portion truncate, \ 

 length of head; outer veutral rays produced, but not nearly reaching 

 anal, twice the length of the inner rays, \ length of head ; pectoral If 

 in head. Dorsal spines strong, pungent. Uniform bright green, with- 

 out distinguishing streaks or spots on head or body. Revillagigedo Archi- 

 pelago; very abundant at Socorro Island; the largest specimens seen, 13 

 inches long. (Gilbert.) (cireH-s, green.) 



Thalassoma vireiis, Gilbert, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 189U, 68, Socorro Island (Coll. Atta- 

 tross) ; Jordan, Review Labroid Fishes, 655, 1890. 



641. DORATONOTUS, Giinther. 



Boratonotus, Gunther, Cat. Fishes Brit. Mus., iv, 124, 1862 (megalepis). 



Body compressed ; head not compressed to an edge anteriorly, its pro- 

 file in front straight or concave; preorbital not very deep; mouth rather 

 wide; teeth in a single series, 2 large canines in front of each jaw; a pos- 

 terior canine; cheeks and opercles scaly; gill membranes united, free 

 from the isthmus; scales large; lateral line interrupted behind, beginning 

 again lower down; dorsal fin with 9 strong pungent spines, some of the 

 anterior elevated, the median spines short, so that the outline of the fin 

 is concave; caudal rounded. Colors brilliant. Size small. This genus 

 contains a single species, one of the most beautiful of the Labrklce, and 

 the genus to which it belongs is one of the best defined in the groui). 

 (Soparoi, spear; v&roi, back.) 



2022. DORATOXOTUS MEOALEPIS, Giinther. 



Head 2f ; depth 2|. D. IX, 10; A. Ill, 9; scales li-20, 6i pores. Body 

 much compressed, moderately elevated, its greatest width behind head 

 f of its height; caudal peduncle short and deep, its length but little 

 more than I its height; profile from dorsal to nape convex, carinated; 

 occiput and supraorbital region depressed and flat, the snout protruding, 

 the profile of top of head thus strongly concave. Snout slender, sharp, 

 compressed, its length 3i in head; mouth wide; maxillary 4 in head; teeth 

 growing gradually larger anteriorly, the 2 front teeth in each jaw dis- 

 tinctly the "largest, canine-like, diverging, opposed to each other; a small 

 but distinct posterior canine in upper jaw, none in the lower; eye mod- 

 erate, little wider than interorbital width, 5 in head; cheeks with a 

 single series of large scales, 4 in number; opercle covered with 5 or 6 

 similar scales; gill membranes broadly united, free from the isthmus. 

 Dorsal spines robust and pungent, the first 3 with conspicuous filamen- 

 tous appendages; first and second spines with their filaments about equal, 

 li in head ; without their filaments the second spine is slightly the longest. 



