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



brownish basally; pelvic and pectoral fins whitish to translucent; 

 dorsal and ventral edge of caudal fin usually blackish to brownish ; on 

 some specimens two or three indistinct vertical bars may occur, first 

 under black area at front of spiny dorsal fin, second as a dusky blotch 

 between base of dorsal soft rays 1 to 4 and on body above lateral line, 

 third at base of and on body below dorsal soft rays 8 to 11 . Peritoneum 

 black. 



Ecology. — This species occurred in areas of abundant coral and algal 

 growths in the lower part of the tidal zone and in deeper water. It was 

 uncommon at all times. 



Genus STETHOJULIS Gunther 



Stethojulis Gunthee, Catalogue of the fishes in the British Museum, vol. 4, p. 



140, 1862 (type species, Julis strigiventer Bennett). 

 Hinalea Jordan and Jordan, Mem. Carnegie Mus., p. 69, 1923 (type species, 



Julis axillaris Quoy and Gaimard). 

 Rhytejulis Fowler and Bean, U. S. Nat. Mus., Bull. 100, vol. 7, pp. 232, 241, 



1928 (type species, Labrus trilinealus Bloch and Schneider). 



The species of this genus are relatively constant in regard to the 

 following characters: Snout normal, not elongate; interorbital space 

 convex; nostrils small, anterior with a low raised rim; jaws equal or 

 nearly so; maxillary reaching to a vertical line between nostrils; 

 maxillary concealed by preorbital; premaxillary protractile; first anal 

 spine minute, mostly embedded at base of second; gill membranes 

 joined at side of isthmus without a free fold; teeth scarcely projecting 

 forward at front of jaws and little enlarged; head naked; all fins 

 naked except base of caudal fin is scaled; lateral line continuous. 



The median fin rays are nearly constant for each species: Dorsal 

 IX, 10 to 14; anal 111,10 to 12; branched caudal 6+6; see table 103 for 

 recorded counts. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF STETHOJULIS 



la. Behind the base of the pectoral fin on sides of body and below lateral line, 4 

 to 6 black blotches or short bars, the last over the first 3 anal rays; on 

 caudal peduncle a brown line above and one below lateral line, parallel 

 with it; base of pectoral not black; pectoral rays ii,ll; pores in lateral 



line 19 + 2 + 6 or 7 S. maculatus " Schmidt 



16. Color not as in la. 

 2a. Pectoral rays usually ii,ll, occasionally ii,12. 



3a. Dorsal half of pectoral fin base black; no brown spots on scales of body 

 ventrally; a white streak (1) extending on each side of middorsal 

 line beginning at nape, then along dorsal fin base; another (2) from 

 middle of snout through upper part of eye thence to dorsal edge of 

 giU opening, ending just above white spot dorsal to pectoral fin 

 base; another (4) from just behind head in a straight course below 

 pectoral base and ending near rear ventral edge of pectoral base; 

 these white streaks may be indistinct or obsolete in alcoholic 

 preservation. 



" stethojulis maeulatut Schmidt, Trans. Pacific Comm. Acad. Sci. USSR, vol. 1, p. 81, pi. 6. flg. 1, 1830 

 (type locality, Eominata, Rlu Ela Islands). 



