PHILIPPINE MACROUROID FISHES GILBERT AND HUBBS. 471 



the scale. Between the occipital ridges the scales, in five series, are 

 mostly little modified, but become reduced in size near the median 

 occipital scute; this scute bears a strong median and a weak lateral 

 keel ; there is no second scute between this one and the dorsal fin ; a 

 scute near the origin of the lateral line bears a strong spinous crest, 

 with a weaker ventral carina. The scales in the median of the five 

 series between the occipital and the postrostral ridge series are 

 markedly enlarged, some bearing as many as 13 divergent carinae. 

 As in notatus and triocellatus, as distinguished from sexradiatits, the 

 fossa within the anterolateral margin of the snout is largely covered 

 by prickles, leaving only a narrow groove along the outer side of 

 those series of scales which bound on each side the median rostral 

 ridge scales; the scales of these series are similar to those of preced- 

 ing species, bearing an outer subparallel and an inner oblique group 

 of carinae; posteriorly, small scales are inserted between the main 

 series and the median rostral series. The underside of the head bears 

 no scales. 



The first dorsal spine is short and strong; the second is long, 

 and it terminates in a long filament; the third ray is as long as 

 the snout plus the orbit. The base of the first dorsal is contained 

 1.3 times in the interval between the dorsals, and 1.5 times in the 

 postorbital length of the head; the second dorsal fin is rather low 

 anteriorly. The origin of the anal fin lies below the anterior por- 

 tion of the interdorsal space. The pectoral is contained twice in 

 the head; the second ventral ray reaches the anal origin. 



As a wide sexual dimorphism was demonstrated in O. maculatus, 

 velifer, and sexradiatiis as regards the length of the fin-rays, a 

 comparison of these characters is added, based upon the type, a 

 male, and the paratype, a smaller female. Although the difference 

 is less striking, it is probable that in this species, too, the fin-rays 

 are longer in the male than in the female. 



Table of fiii-ray measurements. 



Paratype 

 (a female). 



Dorsal spine into head 



Pectoral fin into head 



Outer ventral ray into head . 

 Second ventral ray into head 



1.2 

 2.0 

 2.2 

 3.3 



The ground color is light, about as in 0. triocellatus. The dusky 

 shade of the belly extends forward to, or nearly to, the isthmus, and 

 on the sides to above the ventrals, thus distinguishing this species 

 from notatus and sexradiatus. The markings of the two specimens 

 are not strong. The large spot above and behind the pectoral in- 



