FAMILY LAB RID AE — SCHULTZ 203 



Genus MACROPHARYNGODON Bleeker 



Macropharyngodon Bleeker, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1861, p. 412 (type species, 

 Julis geoffroy Quoy and Gaimard). 



The following characters are useful in recognizing this genus: 

 Branched caudal rays 6 + 6; lateral line pores to base of caudal jBn 

 20 + 2 + 5 totaling 27, with 3 rows above lateral line to base of first 

 soft dorsal ray and about 10 below to anal origin; dorsal rays normally 

 IX,11; anal 111,11 ; pectoral rays ii,10; and gill rakers about 5 or 

 6 + 1 + 9 to 11. Body strongly compressed; snout normal; dorsal 

 profile of head convex; interorbital space convex; jaws terminal, 

 equal or nearly so; teeth short, conical, on sides of jaws, uniserial 

 in lower jaw, biserial anteriorly on upper jaw; anterior teeth canines, 

 middle pair in both jaws pointing obliquely forward, next outer pair 

 in upper jaw widely spaced from middle pair and curved downward 

 and hooked backward a httle; next outer pair of lower jaw, widely 

 spaced from middle pair, and pointing forward with a slight curve 

 upward; corner of mouth with a strong canine tooth; middle pair of 

 canines in upper jaw fitting between outer pair in lower jaw when 

 mouth is closed ; preopercular margin free posteriorly and only a little 

 distance ventrally. Gill membranes attached to isthmus with a 

 narrow free fold across it. 



The numerous specimens of M. meleagris, when compared with 

 specimens of M. geqffroyi (Quoy and Gaimard) from the Hawaiian 

 Islands, indicates without doubt that it is a species distinct from M. 

 meleagris of the western and equatorial Pacific, with which it has been 

 confused by Fowler (Mem. Bishop Mus., vol. 10, p. 344, 1928). 



Counts are recorded in table 102 for the species of Macropharyngo- 

 don. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF MACROPHARYNGODON 



la. Background coloration light olive or pale, everywhere profusely blackish 

 spotted, the pale interspaces scarcely as wide as the spots; these blackish 

 spots variable but smaller than eye and usually larger than pupil; mem- 

 brane base of each ray of dorsal and anal fins with black blotch; pectoral 

 base with a dark spot; anterior part of isthmus with a black ocellate 



spot, except in young M. pardalis (Kner) 



lb. Background coloration brownish, light brownish, or light tan, each scale with 



a round pale spot bordered with brownish or each scale with a blue spot 



bordered with brownish; head with brownish streaks instead of dark spots. 



2o. The brown streaks on head as wide as or wider than the paler interspaces; 



a dark blotch a little behind head, at level of upper edge of gill opening, 



sometimes with a bright silvery center. 



M. meleagris (Cuvier and Valenciennes) 



26. The brown (blue when aUve) streaks on head narrower than pupil, very 



notably twice or more times narrower than pale interspaces; no black 



ocellate spot at front of isthmus; no dark shoulder spot. (Hawaiian 



Islands.) M. geoffroyi (Quoy and Gaimard) 



