FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS AND ADJACENT WATERS 245 



Depth 3 in total length. Snout rather shorter than eye. D. IX, 10, 

 spines slender, third half body depth. A. Ill, 7, second spine stronger, 

 but shorter than third or % body depth. Silvery, with 6 or 7 indis- 

 tinct vertical bands. (Giinther.) 



New South Wales, Kiu Kiu. A little known species, apparently 

 differing from Gerres ovatus in indistinct vertical bands, according to 

 McCulloch. 



GERRES BACONENSIS (Evermann and Scale) 



Xystaema baconensis Evermann and Seale, Bull. Bur. Fisher., vol. 26, p. 69, fig. 

 8, 1906 (1907) (type locality: Bacon and Jolo, Philippines). 



Depth 2% to 2)^; head 3)^ to Sji, width 1% to 2. Snout S% to 3% in 

 head; eye Sji to S%, greater than snout to subequal with age, l^s to 1% 

 in interorbital ; maxillary reaches opposite front pupil edge, expansion 

 2K to 2% in eye, length 2K to 2% in head; teeth villiform, in narrow 

 bands in jaws; interorbital 2% to 2%, very slightly convex, with median 

 depression; groove scaled, leaves only small median naked circular 

 area, usually less than half of pupil in diameter. Gill rakers 5 + 6, 

 short points, ji of gill filaments, which K of eye. 



Scales 40 or 41 in lateral line to caudal base and 3 or 4 more on 

 latter; 5 above, 9 or 10 below, 24 to 27 predorsal forward until nearly 

 above nostrils, premaxillary groove completely scaled; 4 rows on 

 cheeks to preopercle ridge. Scales with 5 to 8 basal radiating striae, 

 sometimes with many as 6 incomplete auxiliaries; circuli very fine. 



D. IX, 10, I, second spine Iji to IK in head, first ray 2% to 3K; 

 A. Ill, 6, 1, third spine 2% to 2%, first ray 2}^ to 2^^; least depth of caudal 

 peduncle 2% to 2%; ventral 1?^ to 1%; caudal 3 to 3K in combined head 

 and body to caudal base; pectoral S% to S%. 



Back brown, with bright lilac and sUvery reflections. Lower sides 

 and under surface silvery white. Iris sUvery white. Lips pale or 

 whitish, terminally spinous membranes dusky to even blackish; 

 on each membrane basally pale brown blotch, at least concealed 

 by basal scaly sheaths. Anal pale, some brown dots on anterior 

 membranes. Fins otherwise pale to whitish, especially terminal 

 edges of ventrals. 



Known only from the Philippines. Not a synonym of Gerres 

 philippinus Giinther, as I stated in 1927. Known from the following 

 specimens : 



Two examples. Port San Vicente, Luzon. November 18, 1908. Length, 181 to 



221 mm. 

 U.S.N.M. No. 55912. Bacon, Sorsogon, Luzon. Bureau of Fisheries (3116). 



C. J. Pierson. Length, 180 mm. Type of Xystaema baconensis. 

 U.S.N.M. No. 6276. Bonin Islands. Capt. William Stimpson. Length, 190 mm. 



