FAMILY LABRIDAE — SCHULTZ 155 



Description. — Dorsal rays X,9, occasionally X or XI,8. 



Head 2.4 to 2.7; greatest depth 2.4 to 2.8; longest pectoral ray 

 5.5 to 6.0; snout tip to anus 1.6 to 1.7; snout to dorsal origin 2.1 

 to 2.3; all in standard length. Snout 3.0 to 3.6; eye 3.6 to 5.7; post- 

 orbital length of head 1.9 to 2.1; interorbital space (bony) 4.2 to 

 5.3; longest pectoral fin ray 2.1 to 2.3; least depth of body 0.8 to 1.2; 

 all in length of head. Distance between anterior and posterior 

 nasal openings 4.0 to 6.5 in snout. Eye 0.9 to 1.6 in interorbital 

 space. 



Dorsal profile of head slightly concave in front of eyes on snout, 

 forming 50 degree (young) to 75 degree (adults) angle with ventral 

 contour of head; maxillary reaching to a vertical line through front 

 of eye, or nearly so ; pectoral fin reaches to opposite fifth or sixth scale 

 of lateral line ; first or second branched pectoral ray on pelvic reaches 

 to anus on small specimens, becoming pointed and reaching past 

 anal origin on adults; on the immature, caudal fin is rounded, whereas 

 in adults the outer caudal rays may be elongate, causing caudal 

 fin to have a concave rear margin. 



Color in alcohol. — Background coloration light brown to brown; 

 (on immature forms usually 4 vertical marbled brownish bars, first 

 from dorsal origin through pectoral base, second from middle of spiny 

 dorsal to a little behind pelvic base, third from front of soft dorsal to 

 anal fin base, fourth on caudal peduncle) ; usually a brownish bar on 

 middle of caudal fin; the base of the caudal fin has a characteristic 

 and usually prominent broad white or pale bar, its width a little over 

 % the length of middle caudal fin rays; other pale interspaces between 

 vertical dark bars not prominent, sometimes nearly obsolete; pelvics 

 dusky; usually a dusky blotch between first and third dorsal spines; 

 lips usually barred; pectoral fin white; rear part of soft dorsal white; 

 a small black spot occurs at bases of sixth to eighth soft dorsal fin 

 rays; around the postero ventral part of the eye occur some character- 

 istic black dots and streaks, one black, oblique, nearly straight, 

 short line on posteroventral margin of eye, and separated from it 

 dorsally by a narrow pale interspace at rear of eye is a small black 

 spot or short black streak; scattered over the head are few to many 

 small black dots or spots; the middle of the sides posteriorly may have 

 the 3 or 4 characteristic brown spots found in other species of Cheilinus; 

 (underside of head sometimes barred on immature forms). In speci- 

 mens of from 100 to 150 mm. in standard length the body coloration is 

 nearly plain brownish, the vertical bars are indistinct and the white 

 caudal fin bar distinct or indistinct; the dark spots and streaks around 

 the eye and on the head and body may or may not be distinct; traces 

 of white specks are usually distinguishable on head and median fins, 

 but are seldom visible on the body. 



