FISHES OF THE PHILIPPHSTE AND ADJACENT SEAS 91 



denticulate, and invariably large spine, sometimes bifid, from lower 

 preorbital edge, hooked back. Gill rakers 7 to 8+15, lanceolate, 

 slender, moderate. 



Tubes in lateral line 15 to IT, pores in straight section 7 to 9+1 

 to 3, sometimes 4 or 5 pores may follow down behind tubes variously 

 irregular; 3 scales above lateral line, 6 to 9 below, 18 to 22 pre- 

 dorsal variously forward to nostril or end of snout; cheek with 2 

 or 3 rows of scales, usually lowest row very small and inconspicuous 

 and infraorbital naked; soft vertical fins densely scaly basally. 

 Scales with 7 to 9 basal radiating striae ; apical denticles 101 to 135, 

 with 1 to 3 transverse series of basal elements; circuli very fine. 



D. XIII or XIV, 14, 1 or 15, i, last spine II/2 to 1% in head, seventh 

 ray 1% to li/^, sometimes first ray simple; A. II, 13, i or 14, i, second 

 spine 1% to ly^, seventh ray 1^4 to 11/3; least depth of caudal 

 peduncle 1% to 2^^ ; pectoral 1 to 1% ; caudal usually deeply emargi- 

 nate, at least in large examples, 314 to 314 in combined head and 

 body; ventral 3 to 3%. 



General color variously pale yellowish to dusky or deep umber 

 brown, greatly extreme. Sometimes with small blue-gray dots or 

 spots, 1 on each body scale, or on head large, then usually blue-gray 

 line from side of snout to eye and row of large spots on upper row 

 of cheek scales producing another streak. Still other examples may 

 have a short blue line on the preorbital below or another elongated, 

 from tip of snout up to interorbital or beyond. Also top of head 

 sometimes finely speckled with minute blue dots. Opercular scales 

 at begimiing of lateral line variously gray, blue to black and con- 

 spicuous, often absent or obscure. Iris brown or yellow, sometimes 

 crossed obliquely with blue line above and another below, as if in con- 

 tinuation of blue lines on snout or muzzle. Fins range from bright 

 yellow to uniform dusky or even blackish, sometimes only caudal 

 yellow and in strong contrast. Yellow examples may have upper 

 edges of both dorsals and lower edges of both anals dusky, appear- 

 ing as dark line when fin folds. Quite distinctive are very many 

 examples with 2 white or gray longitudinal lines on anal, often only 

 the lower present. These more noticeable in yellow examples, less 

 conspicuous or frequently absent in dark ones. Paired fins yellow 

 to blackish. Most examples show at least traces of a small, dark 

 brown to dusky spot at pectoral origin, axil of fin not darker than 

 rest. Frequently examples have a variably large or small black 

 ocellus on the last dorsal rays, usually basal or subbasal, or even may 

 be present as a saddle on the upper caudal peduncle surface. 



Widely distributed through the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea, 

 East Africa, and Mauritius to India, the East Indies, Eiu Kiu, 

 Australia, and Polynesia. The very great variation of color is fairly 



