178 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. ne 



Lophiocharon Whitley 



Plumantennatus Schultz (synonym). 



Lophiocharon caudimaculatus (Riippell) 



Antennarius asper Macleay (synonym). 



The main character I used for the separation of L. caudimaculatus 

 (subgenus Lophiocharon) and L. asper (type of the subgenus Pluman- 

 tennatus) was a supposed difference in the bait, a simple tentacle in 

 the former and a plumelike bait in the latter. I now find the nature 

 of the bait to be variable, from simple to plumelike, and, therefore, 

 I synonymize Antennarius asper Macleay with L. caudimaculatus 

 (Riippell) and the subgenus Plumantennatus Schultz (1957, p. 89) 

 with Lophiocharon Wliitley. 



The usual color pattern of i. caudimaculatus is that figured by Schultz 

 (1957, pis. 6, A, D, and 8, C) with or without an ocellate spot just 

 behind the midbase of the soft dorsal fin; otherwise, the entire fish is 

 brown-speclded or reticulated with brown. The chief distinguishing 

 coloration, however, is in the caudal fin and consists of white or 

 clear spots encircled with brown or blackish pigment. 



The following specimens were studied at the Department of Sys- 

 tematic Biology, Stanford University (SU): SU 35781, Singapore 

 Market, May 1937, A. W. Herre, two, 84 and 85 mm. standard length; 

 30652, Singapore, A. W. Hcrre, two, 52 and 80 mm.; 20204 (holotype 

 of A. lithinostomus Jordan and Richardson), Cuyo, Philippine Islands, 

 R. C. McGregor, 84 mm.; 39498, Singapore, October 10, 1940, A. W. 

 Herre, two, 45 and 83 mm.; 30651, Singapore, March 14, 1934, A. W. 

 Herre, four, 39 to 81 mm.; 27872, Sandaken, British North Borneo, 

 July 3, 1929, A. W. Herre, three, 65 to 87 mm.; 32730, Singapore 

 Harbor, May 7, 1937, A. W. Herre, three, 53 to 68 mm. At the 

 California Academy of Sciences (CAS) (without number or locality), 

 five specimens measured 57 to 92 mm. 



Among the 26 specimens examined, I find that 6 — SU 30652 (2), 

 32730 (3), and CNHM 47248 (1)— represent a black color phase 

 described as follows: general background coloration black, tentacle 

 barred, bait white; white saddle in front of first soft ray of dorsal fin 

 reaching to level of eye; white blotches just behind corner of mouth, 

 above base of pectoral fin, near tips of third dorsal spine, near tips 

 of rays of caudal, pectoral, and posterior rays of both soft dorsal and 

 anal fins; white bar between rear of bases of soft dorsal and anal fins, 

 and another white bar across base of caudal fin raj^s; sometimes rear 

 third of caudal fin white and posterior margins of pectoral, pelvic, 

 anal, and dorsal fins white; a few circular white spots may, or may 

 not, occur in black area on middle of caudal fin. 



