FAMILY LABRIDAE — SCHULTZ 199 



Genus GOMPHOSUS Lacepede 



Gomphosus Lacepfede, Histoire naturelle des poissons, vol. 3, p. 100, 1802 (type 



species, Gomphosus caeruleus Lacepfede). 

 Gomphosis Swainson, Natural history and classification of fishes . . ., vol. 2, 



pp. 43, 173, 231, 1839 (amended spelling after Lacepfede). 

 Acarauna Sewastianoflf, Acta Acad. Sci. Imp. Petrop. (1796), p. 357, 1802 (type 



species, Acarauna longirostris Sewastianoff=Gomp/iosus caeruleus Lacepfede). 



Ref. copied. 

 Flops (Commerson) LacepMe, Histoire natureUe de poissons, vol. 3, p. 100, 1802 



(type species, Gomphosus caeruleus Lacepfede). 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF GOMPHOSUS 



lo. Pectoral rays ii,13; no dark spots on scales; dorsal and anal fins white, with- 

 out spots; outer rays of caudal fin elongate, brown to tips, sharply con- 

 trasting with the white central area, which covers two-thirds of the 

 middle rays of the caudal fin; pectoral fin with narrow white edge distally 

 then a broad dusky band, the basal half a little paler; no dark streak 



behind ej^e. (Mauritius.) G. caeruleus ^» Lacepfede 



1&. Pectoral rays ii,14; a vertical elongate dark spot on each scale. 

 2a. Pectoral fin plain pale and no median dusky cross band; anterior part 

 of bpdy whitish or pale, especially lower and under side of head, 

 posterior part of body dark brown or blackish; dorsal and anal fins 

 blackish with round white spots, distal edges of both fins white; 

 posterior distal third of caudal fin white, outer caudal fin rays with 

 distal fourth white, not brown or blackish; no white blotch above 

 base of pectoral fin; usually two dark streaks behind eye, these sep- 

 arated by pale area G. varius LacepMe 



2b. Pectoral fin with a broad dusky band across middle, basal third and distal 

 thirds notably paler; anterior and posterior parts of body and head 

 of about same dark intensity, underside of head not notably pale; 

 outer caudal fin rays dark brown or blackish to tips of rays; middle 

 caudal fin rays with distal half white, basal half dark brown; usually 

 a large white blotch on side above base of pectoral fin; no dark streaks 

 behind eye. 



3a. Dorsal and anal fins white Q. tricolor Quoy and Gaimard 



36. Dorsal and anal fins dark brown or blackish with a row of white spots 

 mesially; distal edge of both dorsal and anal fins narrowly edged 

 with white. _- G. undulatus^" Streets 



<• Description based on 2 specimens from Mauritius, USNM 19970 and 130977. 



M Oomphoms undulatus Streets, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 7, p. 85, 1877 (Fanning Islands, holotype USNM 

 19230). 



The holotype of undulatus differs from all the other specimens referred to tricolor, varius, and caeruleus 

 that I have examined, as Indicated in the key. The color pattern of undulatus is closest to tricolor. I have 

 compared undulatus with 13 specimens of tricolor from the Hawaiian Islands, 1 from Tahiti, 1 from Johnston 

 Island, 2 from Samoa, 1 from the Pacific Ocean, 15 from the Northern Marshall Islands, and 1 from the Phil- 

 ippines; I find none of these have dark soft dorsal and anal fins with a row of white spots, and therefore 

 conclude that O. undulatus should be recognized at least tentatively as a valid species. The final opinion 

 on this species must await the collection of a larger series of undulatus for use In determining the variability 

 In color pattern. Scarcely any varla tlon in the color pattern of the median fins of tricolor was observed in 

 the material examined by me. 



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