296 BULLETIN 100, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



HALICHOERES GYMNOCEPHALUS (Schneider) 



Labrus gymnocephalus Schneider, Syst. Ichth. Bloch, 1801, p. 251. No 



locality, 

 Platyglossus gymnocephalus Peters, Monatsb. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1868, 



p. 270 (Singapore). — Gunther, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, vol. 8 (16), 1909, 



p. 271 (East Indies, Pelew Islands). 

 Halichoeres gymnocephalus Jordan and Richardson, Bull. Bur. Fish., vol. 



27, 1908, p. 266 (Cuyo). 

 Julis {Halichoeres) modestus Blebker, Verb. Batav. Genootsch. (Labr.), 



vol. 22, 18-19, p. 26. Batavia, Java. 

 Halichoeres modestus Bleeker, Atlas Ichth. Ind. N6erl., vol. 1, 1862, p. 



126, pi. 35, fig. 2 (Java, Bawean, Duizend Islands, Singapore, Banka, 



Lepar, Biliton, Sumbawa, Buru, Timor). 

 Platyglossus modestus Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vol. 4, 1862, p. 57 



(Singapore). — KXroli, Termesz. Fuzetek, Budapest, vol. 5, 1881, p. 174 



(Singapore). — Meyer, An. Soc. Hist. Nat. Madrid, vol. 14, 1885, p. 37 



(Mysore). — Weber, Abhandl. Senckenberg. Nat. Ges., vol. 34 (1), 1911, 



p. 8 (Kei Island). 



Depth 3 to 31^; head 3, width 2% to 2%. Snout 2% to 3; eye 

 5 to 6%, 1% to 2}i in snout, 1 to 1% in interorbital; maxillary 

 reaches H to ^ to eye, 3^ to 434 in head; interorbital 4 to 43^^, 

 convex. Gill rakers 5 + 6, lanceolate, rather robust and short. 



Scales in lateral line 22, 5+ 1; 5 scales above lateral line, 10 below, 

 12 predorsal. Scales with 23 to 30 basal radiating striae, apical 28; 

 circuli fine. 



D. IX, 11, I, ninth spine 2 3^ to 3 in head, first ray 2}/^ to 23^; 

 A. Ill, 11, I, third spine 2J^ to 4, first ray 2% to 2^^; caudal 13^ to 

 l}i, truncate, convex as expanded; least depth of caudal peduncle 

 2 to 2K; pectoral 1% to iVel ventral 1^ to 2>^. 



Brown generally, little paler below. Back, omitting predorsal, 

 including most all of caudal peduncle and caudal base, with fine 

 dusky to blackish dots, some even extending on bases of dorsals and 

 caudal. Blue band from end of snout to eye, another across postocu- 

 lar and still lower one variously distinct or connected, across cheek 

 longitudinally. Iris pale yellowish. Large neutral duskj^ or neutral 

 brown blotch, imperfectly defined, on side of body at or behind 

 depressed pectoral. In some examples lateral dark blotch may 

 be indistinct or even absent. Fins all largely pale to transparent. 

 Blackish bar transversely across pectoral at base. 



East Indies and Micronesia, Well distinguished by the large dark 

 costal blotch and the minute dark dots on the back. 



5 examples, Bolalo Bay, Palawan. December 21, 1908. Length, 75 to 96 mm, 



18472. Bolalo Bay, Palawan, December 21, 1908. Length, 104 mm. 



13167, 13169, 13170. Cataingan Bay, Masbate. April 17, 1908. Length, 65 to 



108 mm. 8 examples. 

 16857 to 16859. Cataingan Bay, April 18, 1908. Length, 99 to 101 mm. 

 10698, Cataingan Bay. April 19, 1908. Length, 91 mm. 



