FAMILY LABRIDAE — SCHULTZ 227 



Halichoeres hortulanus Seale, Occ. Pap. Bishop Mus., vol. 1, no. 3, p. 88, 1901 



(Guam). 

 Halichoeres nigrescens (non Bloch and Schneider) Fowler, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sei. 



Philadelphia, vol. 98, p. 166, fig. 33, 1946 (Riu Kiu Islands). 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 

 Bikini Atoll: 16 stations, 57 specimens, 27 to 170 mm. 3 lots, Univ. Washing- 

 ton, 3 specimens, 26.5 to 50 mm. 



Rongerik Atoll: 4 specimens, 7 specimens, 70 to 126 mm. 

 Eniwetok Atoll: 1 station, 1 specimen, 55 mm. 

 Rongelap Atoll: 4 stations, 5 specimens, 49 to 139 mm. 

 Guam: 1 lot, 1 specimen, 34 mm. 



Description. — Certain counts are recorded in table 105. Pores in 

 lateral line 19 or 20+2 + 5 or 6. 



Head 2.5 to 3.0; greatest depth 2.9 to 3.0; longest pectoral ray 4.3 

 to 5.0; snout tip to anus 1.7 to 1.9; snout to dorsal origin 2.5 to 2.8; 

 all in standard length. Snout 2.5 to 3.3; eye 3.4 to 6.5; postorbital 

 length of head 2.0 to 2.1; interorbital space 3.8 to 4.5; longest pectoral 

 ray 1.5 to 1.9; least depth of body 2.0 to 2.3; all in length of head. 

 Distance between anterior and posterior nasal openings 5 to 8.5 in 

 snout. Eye 0.8 to 1.6 in fleshy interorbital space. 



Dorsal profile of head forming an angle of about 60 to 70 degrees 

 with ventral contour of head; pectoral fin reaches to opposite about 

 tenth or eleventh lateral line pores; pelvics with outer soft ray some- 

 what elongated; distal margin of caudal fm slightly rounded, nearly 

 truncate. 



Color in alcohol. — Adult background coloration whitish or pale, 

 each scale of body with two small black dots, sometimes connected 

 with blackish pigment; below level of middle of pectoral base scales 

 with one blackish dot, none ventrally; a whitish area on back opposite 

 the dorsal spines III to V, the area on back opposite V to IX dorsal 

 spines blackish, then dusky to the second white spot opposite the 

 fourth to sixth soft rays; third white spot on dorsal edge of caudal 

 peduncle just behind rear of dorsal fin base; anal, caudal, pectoral, 

 and pelvic fins plain pale; dorsal usually with round pale spots, 

 bordered with dusky basally; dorsal edge of pectoral fin base with 

 black spot; axil of pectoral fin base whitish, a dusky spot in whitish 

 area. 



A specimen 55 mm. long has the adult color pattern except that the 

 oceUate dorsal spot is present. 



Background coloration of young (55 mm. and shorter in standard 

 length) whitish or pale, with three broad darkish or blackish bars 

 composed of blotches, first across head to breast, second across middle 

 of length, and third on caudal peduncle. Head with dark streak 

 from snout tip through eye to tip of operculum, another from under 

 side of lower jaw below eye to base of pectoral, this bar V-shaped, 



