36 BULLETIN 100, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



oribit with blue-gray tints. Front border of opercle behind vertical 

 preoperclc edge and hind border of opercle along flap brown. Also 

 traces of gray or bluish spots and blotch over postocular region and 

 opercles above, also some extend down below eye on cheek. Fins all 

 pale uniform brownish, with very indistinct darker spots or cloudings 

 on dorsal and caudal, mostly on membranes of fin. Paired fins uniform 

 brownish. 



Red Sea, Arabia, Zanzibar, Mozambique, Zululand, Natal, Mada- 

 gascar, Mauritius, Rodriguez, Seychelles, India, Singapore, East 

 Indies, Philippines, Indo-China, China, Formosa, North Australia, 

 Queensland, Micronesia. My specimens similar to Bleeker's figure, 

 except at present they show no trace of the three oblique bluish bars 

 on the preorbital or the red bar across the pectoral base. 



Lethrinus ornatus De Vis may have been this species: 



Depth Sji in total length; head 4. Snout 2; orbit 4%; maxillary not 

 reaching front nostril, not covered by preorbital; front teeth short, 

 not canines, hind teeth molars; bony protuberance in front of orbit; 

 profile of head tumid on nape, rather concave between it and snout. 



Scales 47 in lateral line; 5 above, 17 below. 



D. X, 8, fifth spine longest, 2% in head; A. Ill, 8. 



Dry example mottled gray, some scales white, some dark colored. 

 Top of head chestnut-brown. Soft dorsal with traces of pale spots. 

 Pectoral pale straw color, black axil extending along upper edge of 

 fin base. 



When fresh top of head greenish blue. General tint bluish on upper, 

 yellowish on lower, parts. On body about 20 longitudinal golden 

 streaks. Many scales on middle of trunk with pearly streaks. Sides 

 of head yellowish, with 2 blue streaks from orbit to rictus ; inside rictus 

 vermilion. Upper half of soft dorsal rays green, webs reticulated with 

 broAvn. Bases of pectoral rays yellow. Outer caudal rays red, passing 

 to golden yellow near tip of upper lobe, tip white, median rays tipped 

 black. Length, 382 mm. 



This species is known chiefly by its finely spotted or dotted appear- 

 ance; even in alcoholic specimens it usually has a persistent pale 

 pearly spot or dot to each scale. The dark bands or bars on the 

 dorsals and caudal seldom persistent. Hind opercle edge dark, also 

 bar across pectoral base. 



Very variable with age. I have been led to consider all the small 

 examples with relatively deep bodies, with compact contour, and 

 comparatively low soft dorsal and anal fins, as this species. The 

 greatest differences are, however, found in the color variations. All 

 have, until half grown at least, traces of a large dark-brown spot 

 below the lateral line several scales behind the band and above the 

 pectoral fin. In addition there are traces of 7 or 8 narrow dark vertical 

 bands, variously broken, to form wide set clusters of small dark spots. 

 Often the dark bands are especially incomplete along the axial line of 



