328 BULLETIN 100, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



THALASSOMA MELANOCHIR (Bleeker) 



Jidis (Julis) melanochir Bleeker, Act. Soc. Sci. Ind. N6erl. (Amboina R.) > 

 vol. 2, 1857, p. 77. Ambonia. 



Julis melanochir Bleeker, Atlas Ichth. Ind. N^erl., vol. 1, 1862, p. 89, 

 pi. 33, fig. 2 (Amboina). — Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vol. 4, 1862- 

 p, 182 (Amboina). — Martens, Preuss. Exp. Ost Asien, 1876, p. 397 (Ambo- 

 ina R.).— Gunther, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, vol. 8 (16), 1909, p. 296, pi. 

 152, fig. B (Amboina; Hawaii). — Weber, Siboga Exp., vol. 57, Fische, 

 1913, p. 377 (Salibabu). 



Depth 3% to 3M; headSH to 3%, width 2^ to 2%. Snout Z% 

 to 3^; eye 6, 1% to 1^ in snout, 13^ to 1% in interorbital ; maxil- 

 lary reaches ^ to eye, 4^ to 4^ in head; interobital 3% to 3j^, 

 convex. Gill rakers 6 + 12, lanceolate, short. 



Scales in lateral line 21, 4 + 2; 3 scales above lateral line, 8 below, 7 

 predorsal. Scales with 40 to 47 basal radiating striae, apical 40 to 55; 

 circuU fine. 



D. VIII, 13, I, eighth spine 3J^ to 43^ in head, first branched ray 

 3 to 3K; A. Ill, 11, I, third spine 4^ to 5%, first ray 3 to 3}i; 

 caudal 2% to 2 3/^ in combined head and body, lunate, upper and lower 

 rays extended in long, sharp, points, nearly or quite as long as median 

 rays; least depth of caudal peduncle IJ^ to 2 in head; pectoral Ij^ to 

 13^; ventral 2 to 2^. 



Head deep slaty. Obscure blue line from snout to eye, then back 

 to opercular lobe; another arched over cheek from rictus. Trunk 

 and tail brownish, each scale with vertical brown fine. Iris grayish. 

 Dorsals deep grayish, with submarginal dark line. Anal pale gray. 

 Caudal buff medianly and behind, upper and lower edges and bases, 

 as well as prolonged points gray brown. Pectoral buff basally, with 

 outer % of fin neutral black; at origin and down over greater part of 

 its base narrow black triangle. Ventral pale. 



East Indies. 



1369. Malapascua Island. March 16, 1909. Length, 145 mm. Top of head 

 dusky viridian; region from front of dorsal downward to below pectorals pale 

 green, darker above; lower head green over purple; cheek and opercle dusky; 

 ocher stripe from lower edge of eye curving backward to upper half of pectoral; 

 similar stripe almost parallel but with more curve from below eye across cheek 

 and interopercle; posterior portion of body wine red shades over green, becom- 

 ing blue below, breast and belly bluish purple. Dorsal bright red, margin pale 

 on black line; no ocelli or blotches. Central portion of caudal hyaline, each 

 lobe continuing red color of posterior body, becoming dusky on extended tips, 

 edges of lobes somewhat pale. Anal pale red, margin hyaline. Ventrals pale. 

 Pectoral lemon yellow at base, violet black terminally; purphsh area on upper 

 base continuing somewhat on first ray. 



7216. Limbe Strait, Celebes. November 9, 1909. Length, 146 mm. 



12379. Hongkong, China. August 13, 1908. Length, 160 mm. [277.] 



