32 U-S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 02 Vol. 2 



The figure of cyclostomus by Lacepede (1802, pi. 14, fig. 3) shows no 

 light spot dorsally on the caudal peduncle. 



Bleeker (1878, fig. 2) recognized chryserydros as a species with an 

 elongate light spot or saddle extending from the posterior base of the 

 soft dorsal to the procurrent caudal rays, whereas he illustrated (1878, 

 fig. 5) the nominal form Pseudupeneus xanthospilurus with a light 

 spot extending only half this distance. He also illustrated his chrys- 

 erydros with a shorter snout, bluish horizontal stripes on the head, 

 and gold and blue stripes on the soft dorsal, whereas the figure of 

 xanthospilurus has a longer snout and lacks the color markings. 

 Both Schultz, who collected many of our Marshall Island specimens, 

 and Strasburg, observed no stripes on the head or any other outstand- 

 ing color markings on the head or body in live specimens, but Stras- 

 burg did observe a dusky and a reddish color phase. 



From the same subfaunal area from which Bleeker's specimens were 

 taken, Vv'eber and de Beaufort (1931, pp. 404, 407) recognized chnjs- 

 erydros and cyclostomus as probable species, but had no specimens of 

 the latter. In an adjacent area Herre and Montalban (1928, pp. 123, 

 127) recognized from the Philippines cyclostomus and chryserydros as 

 distinct forms based on two specimens of each. They illustrate 

 cyclostomus as yeUow-orange and lacking the light caudal saddle and 

 chryserydros as having a purplish body. Fowler (1933, p. 304) lists 

 all his material from the Philippines under cyclostomus, but regarded 

 (p. 309) one specimen (disposition not stated) as xanthospilurus. He 

 also recognized (p. 309) the nominal species chryserydros from Mauri- 

 tius, but he had no specimens. 



Sauvage (Histoire naturelle des poissons, in Grandidier, Ilistoire 

 . . . de Madagascar, vol. 16, p. 226, pi. 26, figs. 3 & 4, 1891) dis- 

 tinguished the two nominal forms cyclostomus and chryserydros but 

 illustrated no light dorsal saddle on the caudal peduncle. Smith 

 (1949), who recently has carried out considerable collecting m an area 

 adjacent to Madagascar, recognized only cyclostomus. 



One or two forms have also been recognized from areas of Oceania. 

 Jordan and Seale (1906, p. 275) noted two species from Samoa, 

 chryserydros and cyclostomus; the general color of the latter was 

 observed as "clear red without markings" and a "pale saddle on the 

 tail." From the same area Schultz (1943, p. 130) recognized one 

 species. Jordan and Evermann (1905, p. 255) reported one form in 

 the Hawaiian fauna and Fowler's more recent list of fishes of Oceania 

 (1949, p. 95) also reports only one form. 



The nominal species Upeneus oxycephalus Bleeker, U. saffordi 

 Seale, and Pseudupeneus aurantiacus Seale, are only tentatively con- 

 sidered as synonyms of cyclostomus. 



