FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS AND ADJACENT WATERS 187 



Genus GIRELLA Gray 



Girella Gray, lUustr. Indian Zool., Hardwicke, vol. 2, p. 98, 1833. (Type 



Girella punctata Gray, monotypic.) 

 Melanychthys Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Poiss., pts. 5 and 6, p. 317, 1844. 



(No specific name. Type, Crenidens melanichthys Richardson = Meianyc/i- 



thys Schlegel, virtually monotypic.) 

 Melanichthys Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Poiss., pt. 15, p. 317, 1850. (Type, 



Crenidens melanichthys Richardson. Not Melanichthys GUnther, 1870, 



an emendation for Melichthys Swainson, 1839.) 

 Camarina Ayres, Proc. California Acad. Sci., 1860, p. 81. (Type, Camarina 



nigricans Ayres, monotj^pic.) 

 Incisidens Gill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1862, p. 244. (Type, 



Crenidens simplex Richardson, monotypic.) 

 Aplodon (not Rafinesque, 1819, nor Spix, 1827) (A. Dum:eril) Thominot, 



Bull. Soc. Philom. Paris, ser. 7, vol. 7, p. 141, 1883. (Type, Aplodon margariti- 



ferum (A. Dumeril) Thominot^ Crenidens si'mp^ea; Richardson, monotypic.) 

 Girellops Regan, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1913, pt. 2, p. 369. (Type, Girella 



nebulosa Kendall and Radcliffe, monotypic.) 

 Girellipiscis Whitley, Australian Zool., vol. 6, pt. 4, p. 320, 1931. (Type, 



Girella elevata Macleay, orthotypic.) 

 Iredalella Whitley, Australian Zool., vol. 6, pt. 4, p. 320, 1931. (Type, Girella 



cyanea Macleay, orthotypic.) 



Body oblong, ovate, compressed. Mouth small. Each jaw with 

 series of flat, movable, tricuspid incisors and posteriorly broad band 

 of similar smaller ones; no molars; no teeth on vomer or tongue; 

 lower pharyngeal teeth slender. Opercle with small spine. Gill 

 rakers slender. Branchiostegals 27 or 28, of which 16 or 17 caudal. 

 Air bladder divided into 2 posterior horns. Intestinal canal elongate. 

 Pyloric coeca numerous. Peritoneum black. Scales moderate, finely 

 ctenoid. Cheeks with very small scales. Top of head and opercles 

 chiefly naked. Scales extend on dorsal bases, forming imperfect 

 sheath. Dorsal rather low, spines 13 to 15, rays 14, depressible in 

 incomplete groove. Anal spines 3, small, graduated, rays 12. Caudal 

 lunate. 



Species few, feeding and living among seaweeds or seaweed-covered 

 rocks. Not greatly valued as food. The largest species attain 

 600 mm. 



ANALYSIS OF SPECIES 



o^. Girella. Outer jaw teeth uniserial, tricuspid; scales 50 to 58 in lateral line. 

 6'. Nostrils scarcely fimbriate; dorsal spines 14 to 16; caudal more or less 

 emarginate. 



c^ Bright blue cyanea. 



c^. Dark umber, base of each scale on head with dark spot; dark bar on 



pectoral base punctata. 



6^. Nostrils distinctly fimbriate; dorsal spines 13; caudal subtruncate. elevata. 



134789—33 13 



