44 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 202 Vol. 2 



MULLOIDICHTHYS VANICOLENSIS (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 



Upenevs vanicolensis Cuvier and Valenciennes, Histoire naturelle des poissons, vol. 

 7, p. 521, 1831 (type locality, Vanicolo, Santa Cruz Islands). 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Bikini Atoll: 8 stations, 26 specimens 77 to 96 mm. in standard length. 

 Eniwetok Atoll: 4 stations, 53 specimens, 77 to 92 mm. 

 Rongelap Atoll: 3 stations, 15 specimens, 79 to 93 mm. 



Description. — Counts and measurements were taken from 7 speci- 

 mens all from the Marshall Islands, unless indicated otherwise, rang- 

 ing in length from 84 to 95 mm. Dorsal rays VIII-i,8; anal rays 

 I,i,6; pectoral rays 16 or 17; vertical scale rows 35 to 39 (21 speci- 

 mens) ; scale rows above lateral line 3, below lateral line 6 or 7, around 

 caudal peduncle 15 or 10. 



Body relatively elongate and slender, body depth 4.5 to 5.2; head 

 length 3.5 to 3.9; length of caudal peduncle 3.5 to 3.9; length of 

 longest pectoral ray 5.8 to 6.5; all in standard length. Eye, 3.5 to 

 4.2; length of upper jaw 3.4 to 3.7; depth of caudal peduncle 3.0 to 

 3.2; length of snout 2.6 to 3.0; interorbital width 3.6 to 3.9; length 

 of barbel 1.8 to 2.1; all in length of head. Eye in snout 1.1 to 1.3; 

 interorbital width in eye 1.0 to 1.2. 



Gill rakers 7 or 8+1 + 18 to 21, total 27 to 30 (25 specimens); 

 longest raker about 1.7 to 2.0 in longest filament. Second dorsal 

 spine flexible near tip; barbels short almost reach vertical through 

 posterior margin of eye. 



Color in alcohol. — Head and body dusky to dark brown above and 

 silvery below, lacldng any conspicuous color or color mark, some 

 specimens more uniform light brown or tan; peritoneum black; fins 

 transparent, caudal fin and to a lesser extent soft dorsal more con- 

 spicuous in having dusky striations in most specimens. 



Color when alive. — Schultz recalls that many of the above specimens, 

 especially those collected at night, had a reddish brown coloration 

 when taken from the water. None showed any evidence of stripes 

 or spots as is found on samoensis or auriflamma. 



Range. — This species has been reported from the East Indies, the 

 Philippines, and various islands of Oceania. The references are 

 hsted by Fowler (Mem. Bishop Mus., vol. 10, p. 234, 1928) and Herre 

 and Montalban (Philippine Journ. Sci., vol. 36, No. 1, p. 135, 1928). 

 I suspect that more than one species was involved in these reports and 

 one should be cautious in the application of these data. 



Remarks. — The following arguments were considered in the use of 

 the name vanicolensis: 



1. It seemed most logical to apply some available name in order 

 that the specimens may be referred to and found by future workers, 

 although I am not confident of the accuracy of this application. Of 



