FAMILY MULLIDAE — LACHNER 



of the head, barbel, and snout. A regressive development occurs in 

 the diameter of the eye; it decreases with an increase in body length. 

 These regressions are shown in the frequency distributions in the 

 descriptive accounts of the species P. barberinus, tables 65 and 67; P. 

 bifasciatus, tables 69 and 70; P. trifasciatus, tables 72 and 73; P. 

 pleurostigma, tables 74 and 75; and P. cyclostomus, table 77. This 

 difference in rate of development has lead to much of the confusion 

 in species recognition. Many of the nominal forms are size variants, 

 the very large specimens of several species look, superfically, totally 

 unlike their respective subadults. 



Table 59. — Number of gill rakers in species of Parupeneus fro7n various Indo- 



Pacific localities 



Table 60. — Total number of 'pectoral fin rays in species of Parupeneus /rom various 



Indo- Pacific localities 



Species 



Pectoral fin rays 



barberinus 



pleurotaenia.. 



orientalis 



macronemus. . 



bifasciatus 



muUifasciafuS- 



trifasciatus 



barberinoides-- 

 pleurostigma-. 



indicus 



cyclostomus -.- 



luteus 



porphyreus 



chrysonemus.. 

 crassilabris 



422142—60- 



