FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE AND ADJACENT SEAS 283 



; HALICHOERES LEPARENSIS (Bleeker) 



Julis {Halichoeres) leparensis Bleeker, Nat. Tijds. Ned. Indie, vol. 3, 

 1852, p. 730. Lepar Island. 



Halichoeres leparensis Bleeker, Atlas Ichth. Ind. N6erl., vol. 1, 1865, p. 119, 

 pi. 42, fig. 5 (Java, Bawean, Sumatra, Nias, Singapore, Lepar, Biliton, 

 Celebes, Ternate, Buru, Amboina, Saparua, Goram, Timor). — Fowler, 

 Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., ser. 2, vol. 12, 1904, p. 537 (Padang).— 

 EvERMANN and Seale, Bull. Bur. Fisher., vol. 26, 1906 (1907), p. 95 

 (Bacon). 



Platyglossus leparensis Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus., vol. 4, 1862, p. 156 

 (East Indies).— Day, Fishes of India, pt. 3, 1877, p. 399, pi. 84, fig. 3; 

 Fauna British India, vol. 2, 1889, p. 406.— Gunther, Journ. Mus. Godef- 

 froy, vol. 8 (16), 1909, p. 268 (East Indies, Guam). — Weber, Abhandl. 

 Senckenberg. Nat. Ges., vol. 34 (1), 1911, p. 8 (Kei Island); Siboga Exp., 

 vol. 57, Fische, 1913, p. 374, fig. C. (Siau, Karakelang, Salibabu, Elat). 



Platyglossus reticulatus Cartier, Verh. Ges. WiirzbuTg, vol. 5, 1874, p. 104. 

 Cebu. — Elera, Cat. Fauna Filip., vol. 1, 1895, p. 552 (Cebu). 



Depth S}4 to ZH; head 2J4 to 3, width 23^ to 2i^. Snout 3 to 

 33^; eye 3}4 to 4^, Httle greater than snout to 1% in snout, little 

 greater to 13^8 in interorbital ; maxillary reaches % to ^ to eye, 

 43^ to 4% in head; interorbital 5 to 53^, convex. Gill rakers 4 + 11, 

 lanceolate, short. 



Scales in lateral line 22, 3 or 4 + 2; 4 scales above lateral line, 8 

 below, 8 predorsal. Scales with 24 to 35 basal radiating striae, 

 apical 21 to 30; circuli, fine. 



D. IX, 12, I, ninth spine 3 to 33^ in head, first ray 2% to 2J4; A. 

 Ill, 12, I, third spine 4 to 43^, first ray 2^ to 2'J/g; caudal 13^ to 1%, 

 convex behind; least depth of caudal peduncle 2yo to 2%; pectoral 

 IK to 13^; ventral 23^^. 



Body brown, each scale with pearly or grayish white apical spot. 

 Head with several longitudinal grayish bands. Vertical neutral 

 black bar close behind eye little less than vertical eye-diameter. 

 Vertical fins all with traces of whitish spots, paired fins uniform. 

 Black ocellus at origin of spinous dorsal, at front of soft dorsal and 

 at base of upper caudal rays. Sometimes 2 black caudal ocelli at 

 bases of upper caudal rays or sometimes 1 below middle of fin. 



East Indies, Micronesia. Very young show median white line 

 from side of snout along lower eye edge and back to middle of side. 

 Also the dark postocular bar and the preocular spot dark, latter due 

 to remaining pigment of bluish lateral band of snout to eye. Most 

 small examples show traces of 7 dark vertical obscurely defined 

 transverse bands. 



The imperfectly described Platyglossus reticulatus Cartier we place 

 as a synonym. The markings on the head are not described and 

 though the fins are said to be transparent possibly the 3 rows of pale 

 dorsal spots had faded out. 



