FAMILY MULLIDAE — LACHNER 



43 



ments including specimens from other localities are contained in 

 tables 80 and 83): Dorsal rays VIII-i,8; anal rays I,i,6; pectoral rays 

 16 or 17 (15 specimens); vertical scale rows, 35 to 38 (30 specimens); 

 scale rows above lateral line 3, below lateral line 7, around caudal 

 peduncle 15 and 16. 



Body depth 3.3 to 3.8 (23 specimens); headlength 3.0 to 3.6(32 speci- 

 mens) ;length of caudal peduncle 4.3 to 4.6 ; length of longest pectoral ray 

 4.5 to 4.8; all in standard length. Eye 3.1 to 3.9 (35 specimens); 

 length of upper jaw 2.6 to 3.3 (31 specimens) ; depth of caudal peduncle 

 3.0 to 3.7; length of snout 2.1 to 2.8 (35 specimens); interorbital 

 width, 3.4 to 4.0 (22 specimens); length of barbel 1.3 to 1.6 (33 speci- 

 mens); all in length of head. Eye in snout 1.4 to 1.6. Interorbital 

 width in eye 1.0 to 1.3. 



Gill rakers 7 to 10+1+20 to 25, total 29 to 35 (79 specimens); 

 longest raker about 1.2 to 1.6 in longest filament; peritoneum deep 

 black; second dorsal spine fairly flexible near tip; barbels extend to 

 preopercular margin or slightly beyond. 



Color in alcohol. — Head and body pale, or light to slightly golden 

 brown, often dusky dorsally. Head and body in some specimens with 

 irregular dark blotches. Fins pale to transparent. Our specimens 

 show no remains on the body of the median yellow horizontal stripe 

 present in life. 



Range. — This species has an extensive geographic range. Originally 

 described from the Red Sea, it has been found from the East African 

 coast (Smith, Sea fishes of Southern Africa, p. 231, 1949) eastward 

 through the East Indies, Philippines, Islands of Oceania, and the 

 Hawaiian Islands. 



Remarks. — The color and morphological characters of populations 

 of this species in various geographic localities appear homogeneous. 



Table 83. — Number of gill rakers in Mulloidichthys auriflamma, hy locality 



» Qill'raker at the angle of the arch was Included in the total count only. 



