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



CIRRHILABRUS TEMMINCKI Bleeker 



Plate 93,F,G 



Cirrhilabrus temminchii Bleeker, Verh. Bataviaasch. Gen., vol. 25, p. 17, 1853 

 (type locality, Japan; on Cirrhilabrus Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna 

 Japonica, pt. 4, p. 167, pi. 86, fig. 3, 1845). 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Bikini Atoll: 1 station, 1 specimen, 26 mm. in standard length. 

 Rongelap Atoll: 3 stations, 12 specimens, 18 to 46 mm. 

 Philippines: 3 specimens (USNM 153284 and 153285). 



Description. — Counts made on certain species of Cirrhilabrus are 

 recorded in table 93. 



Head 2.3 to 3.0; greatest depth 3.4 to 3.7; longest pectoral ray 4.7 

 to 5.0; snout tip to anus 1.5 to 1.8; snout tip to dorsal origin 2.4 to 

 2.7; all in standard length. Snout 3.5 to 3.7; eye 3.2 to 4.0; postorbital 

 length of head 2.0 to 2.1; fleshy interorbital space 3.6 to 3.4; longest 

 pectoral ray 1.7 to 2.0; least depth of body 2.4 to 2.5; all in length of 

 head. Eye in fleshy interorbital space 0.7 to 1.0. 



Dorsal profile of head forming an angle of 45 to 52 degi-ees with 

 ventral contour of head; pectoral fin reaches to a point opposite 

 lateral line pores 9 or 10; second soft ray of pel vies short in young, 

 elongate in adults; distal margin of caudal fin rounded; all rays of 

 spiny dorsal pungent; second and third anal spines of about equal 

 length and strength. 



Color in alcohol. — Background coloration light tan; dorsal edge 

 of pectoral base blackish; spines bluish. 



Adults (longer than 35 mm.): scales in dorsal part of body with 

 little white lengthwise lines; row of scales above lateral line may 

 have 6 white spots, sometimes an additional light spot on each scale; 

 each scale in row just below peduncular lateral line with white spot; 

 some of the other scales may have a white spot; a dusky streak near 

 middle of anal and dorsal fins is present or absent. 



Young (40 mm. and shorter) : Background light tan without white 

 spots on scales or dusky streaks on median fins; a dark spot occurs 

 at dorsal edge of caudal peduncle at base of caudal fin; dark spot at 

 upper edge of pectoral base prominent. 



Ecology. — This little understood species was taken most frequently 

 below the tidal zone in water as deep as 40 feet, where it preferred 

 coral heads. Specimens between 46 and 72 mm. were mature. 



Remarks. — I am unable to construct a satisfactory key to the 

 species of Cirrhilabrus because of the lack of a series of specimens 

 that might represent the described species, C. cpanopleura (Bleeker); 

 C. lyukuensis Ishikawa; C. solorensis Bleeker; C. heterodon Bleeker 

 and C. jordani Snyder. Among these species, specimens of which I 

 have studied indicate that cyanopleura differs from temmincki in 



