FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE AND ADJACENT SEAS 353 



Cheilinus mertensii Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. 14, 1839, p. 102. 



Guam. 

 Cheilinus festivus Valenciennes, Hist. Nat. Poiss., vol. 14, 1839, p. 104. 



Oualan. 

 Chilinus godeffroyi Gunther. Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1871, p. 666, pi. 66. 



Tonga Islands. — Meyer, An. Soc. Hist. Nat. Madrid, vol. 14, 1885, p. 36 



(Cebu).— El^ra, Cat. Fauna Filip., vol. 1. 1895, p. 551 (Cebu). 



Depth 2^ to 2^; head 2}^ to 2%, width 23^ to 3. Snout 2 to 

 2/^; eye 5 to 11, 2 to 5% in snout, 1 J/g to 2% in interorbital; maxillary 

 reaches ^ to 5^ to eye, 2% to 3 in head; lips broad, thick, fleshy; 

 interorbital 3^ to 4)^, convex. Gill rakers 7 + 12, lanceolate, 

 robust. 



Scales in lateral line 14 to 16 + 7 + 2 or 3 ; 2 scales above lateral line, 

 6 below, 6 predorsal. Scales with 13 to 15 basal radiating striae; 

 19 to 20 parallel apical striae; circuli very fine. 



D. IX, 15, I, ninth spine 3 to 4 in head, seventh ray 2}/^ to 23^; 

 A. Ill, 8 I, third spine 3)^ to 4, sixth ray 2% to 2^; caudal 1% to 

 \%, rounded convexly behind; least depth of caudal peduncle 2}/ito 

 2%; pectoral 2 to 23^; ventral 2 to 23/^. 



Brownish generally, little paler below. Each scale with vertical 

 brown streak, with pale or grayish line parallel in front and behind. 

 Some scales below may have 3 vertical or variegated pale lines. Two 

 blackish lines forward from eye toward end of maxillary and 2 back- 

 ward toward suprascapula; also 4 pale lines radiate from eye above, 

 between last pair short blackish line. Sides of head with obscure 

 grayish more or less vertical line. Vertical fins pale brown, with 

 waved dark streaks longitudinally on dorsals and anals and 8 trans- 

 verse on caudal. Paired fins dull gray brown. In young color 

 pattern more contrasted and lower side of head also spotted with 

 deep brown. 



Red Sea and East Africa to the East Indies and Oceania as far as 

 the Paumotus. The largest labroid of the Indo-Pacific region, 

 reaching a length of over 200 cm. (or upwards of 7 feet). Such 

 exairiples often have the top of the head with a large fleshy crest or 

 swelling, much like certain serranids (Centropristis, etc.) sparids, etc. 



4957 and 7227. Alibijaban Island, Ragay Gulf, Luzon. March 6, 1909. Length, 

 480 to 673 mm. Centers of scales with vertical purplish slate bar, bordered 

 by olive green on either side; on anterior of dorsal region 4 bright green lines 

 with light purplish interspaces and approaching nuchal region green breaks into 

 rows of round spots, last scales merely bordered with slaty gray; on breast 

 purple becomes brown, taking form of 10 narrow vermiculating lines on each 

 scale, forming designs like Indian decorations; this character continued in 

 broader lines at base of pectoral, edges of branchiostegal membrane, edge of 

 gill opening and opercle; top of head dark ohve, becoming paler and more 

 bluish below; interorbital region and lower forehead with vermiculating slate 

 blue lines; 3 dark brown lines backward from eye and 9 downward from eye 

 across preorbital; ground-color on nose becomes dull buff chrome, forming re- 

 ticulations with blue; on cheek and subopercle and mandible olive forms 



