22 



BULLETIN 100, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Depth 2% to 2%; head 2% to 3, width 2 to 2%. Snout 2 to 2}^ in 

 head; eye 3K to 4%, 1% to 2% in snout, greater than interorbital in 

 young to Iji with age; maxillary reaches opposite front nostril, length 

 2% to 3 in head; hps moderate, coriaceous; teeth villiform, in broad 

 bands in front of jaw, outer row enlarged and mostly conic with 4 

 front ones in each jaw canines and last 4 each side molar like, but often 

 with slight median longtitudinal groove; interorbital 3% to 4 in head, 

 broadly convex; naked region of head with skin finely rugose. Gill 

 rakers 5 + 5, low, broad tubercles, about % gill filaments. 



Figure 2.~Lethrinus harak (Forsk&l), young 



Scales 45 or 46 in lateral line to caudal base and 2 more on latter; 

 6 above, 14 or 15 below, 9 or 10 predorsal; caudal and pectoral bases 

 finely scaled. Scales with 12 to 15 basal radiating striae, sometimes 

 4 to 9 incomplete auxiliaries; 113 to 171 apical denticles, with 4 to 8 

 transverse series of basal elements; circuli fine. 



D. X, 9, I, fourth spine 2% to 3Ko in head, fourth ray 2% to 2%; A. 

 Ill, 8, I, third spine 3K to 3%, first ray 2% to 3K; caudal IK to \%, 

 emarginate; least depth of caudal peduncle 3 to 3Ko; pectoral iKo to 

 1)^; ventral \% to l)i. 



Body rather pale brown, lower surface whitish. Each scale on 

 body, at least on back and sides, with darker margin. Head rather 

 dull drab-brown above and on sides, below pale to whitish. Iris 

 yellowish brown. Hind border of gill opening little darker brown 

 than adjoining color. Below last dorsal spine or front dorsal rays, 

 close below lateral line, a large dusky neutral to blackish blotch 7 to 

 9 scales long and about 4 deep. Fins pale brown. 



Red Sea, Madagascar, India, East Indies, Philippines, AustraHa, 

 Micronesia, Melanesia, Polynesia. My series of specimens shows 

 the quite variable eye often small in the young and large in larger 

 examples. The species may be known by the characteristic large 



