FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE AND ADJACENT SEAS 217 



D. IX or X, 10, I or 11, i, ninth spine 2^ to 2)4, in head, first 

 ray 1 9^ to 2; A. Ill, 9, i, second spine 2 to 33^, first ray 2 to 2%; 

 caudal 1% to 13^, convex behind; least depth of caudal peduncle 

 23^ to 3; pectoral 13^ to 1%; ventral, 1% to \%. 



Male pale brownish generally. Body with 5 or 6 dark brown 

 blotches along back, joined more or less along lateral line and with 

 as many similar dark vertical blotches alternating along sides of 

 body, these may be variably joined below. Iris pale straw color. 

 In small and young examples all large dark blotches become more or 

 less isolated. Three dusky brown spots along hind eye edge, upper 

 two extending up toward spinous dorsal. Opercle and all fins, 

 except pale gray pectoral with greenish gray tinge. Outer portions 

 of dorsals, anals, caudal and ventral deep dusky grayish. 



Female brown, each row of scales with longitudinal pale or grayish 

 lines. Dusky or blackish blotch on hind part of opercle. Several 

 vertical gray lines on cheek. Dark blotches on bases of dorsals 

 dusky and fins all with whitish waved longitudinal lines. Caudal 

 pale, with deep gray spots on each ray. Anal with 4 gray basal 

 blotches and 4 or 5 whitish lines on front of spinous fins. Pectoral 

 pale brown. Ventral grayish, with 4 or 5 obsolete pale spots. 



East Indies, Philippines, Formosa, China, Japan. Though small 

 in size it is frequently marketed. The sexes are quite different 

 in color. 



21836, 21837, 22534. Atulayan Bay, Lagonoy Gulf. June 17, 1909. Length, 

 64 to 70 mm. [1672.] Green and olive, mottled and clouded with darker and 

 paler, becoming yellowish below. Dorsal hyaline, clouded with hyaline brown- 

 ish, rather distinct spot on upper portion of first membrane; on posterior soft 

 rays brownish in form of small spots on rays. Caudal rays olive, membranes 

 similarly spotted with brown, also outer rudimentary rays more distinctly. 

 Anal similar to soft dorsal. Ventrals pale bluish green, membranes alternately 

 red, brown and pale or whitish spotted; tips of three posterior rays whitish. 

 Pectorals hyaline pink. Oblique bar from eye backward across subopercle, 

 brassy on cheek and pink immediately behind preopercular limb. 



20484. Batan, Rapurapu Strait. June 5, 1909. Length, 77 mm. [1588.] Dull 

 rosy slate, edges of scales more or less olive; on top of head olive predomi- 

 nates; from eye across front of cheek and behind chin rather broad dusky rose 

 stripe with narrow blue borders. Tips of first three dorsal spines prolonged 

 in orange filaments; incised portion of membranes rather dark, becoming 

 vermilion on last three spinous membranes; dark shade continued across first 

 four or five soft membranes; spinous portion of fin and anterior soft portion 

 with oblique pale streaks; spines and raj's with smaller white specks; posterior 

 portion of soft fin hyaline with orange bars, which become scarlet on last rays. 

 Caudal h3^aline, tip dusky, fin crossed by five or six irregular bars formed 

 by orange spots on membranes. Anal body color, with oblique pale streaks 

 and small mottlings on raj's; first two spines with short dusky rose filaments. 

 Ventrals rosy, inner tip orange, fin crossed by paler bars. Pectoral hyaline 

 pink, white spot in upper axil. Opercle with solid centered very narrow 

 rimmed ocellus nearly size of eye; this readily separated from membrane bone 

 and probably lost in many specimens. 

 32872—28 15 



