FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE AND ADJACENT SEAS 369 



Xyrichthys torquatus Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. 14, 1839, p. 54, 



pi. 392. "Surinam" [East Indies]. 

 Xyrichthys novacidoides Bleeker, Nat. Tijds. Ned. Indie, vol. 4, 1853, 



p. 122. Amboina. 

 Novacula xyrichthyoides Bleeker, Nat. Tijds. Ned. Indie, vol. 10, 1856, 



p. 488. (On Xyrichthys novaculoides Bleeker, 1852.) 

 Julis kuelknel Thiolli^re, Fauna Woodlark, 1857, p. 195. Woodlark 



Island. 

 Novacula microlepis Vaillant and Sauvage, Rev. Mag. ZooL, vol. 3, 1875, 



p. 284. Hawaiian Islands. 



Depth 4 to 4%; head 2^ to 2%, width 2J^ to 3. Snout 2^ to 

 2%; eye 4^ to 6, 2 to 2}^ in snout, greater or equals interorbital ; 

 maxillary reaches % to ^ to eye, 33^ to 3% in head; interorbital 6 to 

 63^ in head, little convex. Gill rakers 7 + 10, short, lanceolate. 



Scales in lateral line 57 to 60, 15 to 17 + 5; 4 or 5 scales above lateral 

 line, 19 or 20 below, 5 or 6 predorsal. Scales with 23 to 27 basal 

 marginal striae, 16 or 17 apical; circuli moderate. 



D. IX, 12, I or 13, I, ninth spine 4% to 4% in head, first ray 3^ 

 to 4; A. Ill, 11, I to 13, I, third spine 4% to 5, first ray 3 to 33^; 

 caudal l^/itol%, truncate; least depth of caudal peduncle 2% to 3}^; 

 pectoral 1^ to 1^^; ventral 2i^ to 2i^. 



Drab gray above, pale to whitish on head below and abdomen. 

 Iris yellowish. Fins pale. Dorsals with grayish brown waved 

 close-set lines, little inclined from vertical. Small examples usually 

 with small blackish point at upper base of caudal and blue line close 

 along edge of back. 



Widely distributed from Mauritius and Zanzibar to the East Indies, 

 Micronesia, and Hawaii. This species is subject to various combina- 

 tions in color-pattern, due to preservation. Often many markings 

 may be obscure, while in fresh specimens the color is largely whitish. 

 Three of the Pandanon Island examples all show the brown oblique 

 lines on the tail as in Bleeker's figure, but usually without the dark 

 band in the humeral region. All have a dark vertical posterior 

 streak on the opercle, not shown by Bleeker. 



18 examples, Cebu market. September 3, 1919. Length, 84 to 126 mm. 



[1882, 1883.] 

 6 examples, Pandanon Island. March 24, 1909. Length, 81 to 126 mm. [1447 



to 1450.] 

 51132 U.S.N.M. Hawaiian Islands. U. S. Fish Comm. Length, 135 mm. 

 55051 U.S.N.M. Honolulu. Albatross collection. Length, 158 to 162 mm. 



2 examples. 

 55365 U.S.N.M. Honolulu. Albatross coUection. Length, 125 mm. 1 example. 

 65808 U.S.N.M. Namuka, Tonga Island. Albatross collection. Length, 76 mm. 



1 example. 

 12573 U.S.N.M. Zanzibar. British Museum. Length, 140 to 162 mm. 2 



examples. 

 29664 to 29667 A.N.S.P. Honolulu. Jordan and Snyder. Length, 130 to 157 



