REVIEW OF THE HAWKFISHES — RANDALL 405 



some species of Cirrhitus and Amhlycirrhitus) ; preorbital without a 

 free hind edge; 5 or 6 rows of large scales on cheek; cheek scales with 

 small basal scales; interorbital scaled; 5 rows of large scales above 

 lateral line to spinous portion of dorsal fin (scales in upper row become 

 smaller beneath soft portion of fin) ; depth of body 2.4 to 3.2 in stand- 

 ard length; snout length 2.7 to 3.6 in head length; a single cirrus from 

 membrane near tip of each dorsal spine; membranes of dorsal fin not 

 deeply incised, the one between fifth and sixth dorsal spines notched 

 less than one-fifth of the length of spines; longest dorsal spine 2.8 to 

 3.8 in body depth; pectoral fins short, their length about 1.5 to 2 in 

 head length, and not reaching tips of pelvic fins; unbranched pectoral 

 rays only slightly longer than branched rays of fin; caudal fin truncate 

 to rounded. 



Remarks. — Smith (1951) erected the genus Gymnocirrhites, desig- 

 nating arcatus as the type species. He distinguished it from Para- 

 cirrhites by the naked membranous fold across the tlu"oat and by the 

 lack of scales on the snout before the nostrils. D. W. Strasburg, in an 

 unpublished report on the fishes of the southern Marshall Islands 

 submitted to the Office of Naval Research Aug. 11, 1953, noted the 

 presence of imbedded scales on the gill membranes over the isthmus of 

 some specimens of arcatus (and of hemistictus as well). Randall 

 (1955, p. 196) placed Gymnocirrhites in synonymy. Schultz (Schultz 

 and collaborators, 1960, p. 252) stated that arcatus lacks scales on the 

 gill membranes at 48 mm. but has them well developed at 100 mm. 

 standard length. The absence of scales anterior to the nostrils is 

 characteristic of arcatus; however, this distinction would not seem to be 

 of generic rank. At least 3 of the 4 other species with postocular 

 marks similar to that of arcatus (these species certainly belonging in the 

 same genus as arcatus) have scales on the snout anterior to the nostrils 

 (although not as many and none over the median process of the 

 premaxillary as is seen on jorstei'i). 



Key to the Species of Paracirrhites 



la. Second pectoral ray branched, at least near tip; scales on snout anterior to 

 nostrils; no color mark extending diagonally upward from hind edge of ej^e. 

 2a. Ninth and tenth dorsal spines subequal (the tenth slightly longer) ; lateral- 

 line scales 45 to 49; small dark spots, if present, located on head and 

 anteriorly on body. 

 3a. Depth of body 2.6 to 2.8 in standard length; small scales on cheek do not 

 separate rows of large scales or adjacent large scales within rows; 

 numerous small dark spots on head and anteriorly on body; no verti- 

 cal dark bars on body; no pale lines on ventral half of body following 

 scale rows (In do-Pacific) forsteri 



646748— G3- 



