196 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 02 VoL 2 



Color when alive. — Background coloration dark green, becoming 

 yellowish green ventrally; anal yellowish green; sides behind head 

 with two red bands, dorsal one about as wide as eye extends from 

 region of nape above lateral line to dorsal edge of caudal peduncle 

 and thence along dorsal edge of caudal fin to its tip, the other red 

 streak begins behind head a little above base of pectoral fin and con- 

 tinues straight to midbase of caudal fin; these red bands connected 

 by nearly vertical narrow red lines, one on each scale, usually lacking 

 on caudal peduncle; ventral edge of caudal peduncle dark red; breast 

 and belly dark olive green; an oblique red streak occurs just in front 

 of pectoral base and another one parallel to it a little behind and 

 below pectoral base, neither of these red streaks reaches to the mid- 

 ventral line. The white or pale (in alcohol) streaks that radiate from 

 eye are dark red, and the brown (in alcohol) streaks are olive green. 

 Posteroventral part of head violet. Front of dorsal fin with a bright 

 purple spot, blackish in alcohol; base of dorsal fin with a bright red 

 or scarlet band, distal half of dorsal fin bright yellow. Caudal fin 

 translucent pinkish yellow; pectoral and pelvics hyaline. A koda- 

 chrome picture shows the dorsal fin as pinkish orange without the red 

 and yellow bands. 



Ecology. — This is one of the most abundant species of fishes taken 

 on the reefs in the northern Marshall Islands. It occurred in nearly 

 all kinds of habitats where there were corals and algae, with crevices 

 for protection. It was taken in the lagoon at depths of about 30 to 

 40 feet. 



Remarks. — A small species of reef fish, T. quinquevittata seldom 

 grows to a size of over 120 mm. in standard length. Only a few of our 

 specimens exceed 100 mm. 



THALASSOMA FUSCUM (Lacepede) 



Plate 107, C 



Labrus fuscus Lacepede, Histoire naturelle des poissons, vol. 3, pp. 437, 493, pi. 



4, ? fig. 1, 1802 (type locality, "great equatorial ocean"). 

 Labrus trilobatus Lacepede, Histoire naturelle des poissons, vol. 3, pp. 454, 526, 



1802. 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Bikini Atoll: Boby Island, August 17, 1946, S-46-3S3, 1 specimen, 122 mm. 

 Marianas Islands: Rota Island, 1945, 1 specimen, 205 mm. 



Description. — Certain counts are recorded in table 101. Head 3.1 

 to 3.3; greatest depth 2.4 to 3.0; longest pectoral ray 4.4 to 4.6; 

 snout tip to anus 1.7 to 1.8; snout to dorsal origin 2.8 to 2.9; all in 

 standard length. Snout 2.5 to 2.6; eye 6 to 8; postorbital length of 

 head 1.7 to 1.8; interorbital space 4.2 to 3.5; longest pectoral ray 1.3 

 to 1.4; all in length of head. Distance between anterior and posterior 



