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



Dorsal profile of head forming an angle of 65 to 70 degrees with 

 ventral contour of head; pectoral fin reaches to opposite ninth or 

 tenth lateral line pores; pelvics with outer rays elongate, reaching 

 nearly to anus; distal margin of caudal fin rounded. 



Color in alcohol: — Background coloration light grayish to yellowish ; 

 specimens about 45 mm. and longer usually with a vertically elongate 

 dusky bar on each scale, these dusky bars may be much darker on 

 middle of sides in certain areas to form broad barlike markings; belly 

 plain pale; caudal, pelvics, and pectoral fins plain pale; dorsal base 

 of pectoral fin with black spot; beginning in axil of pectoral an oblique 

 dusky bar that extends behind pelvic base; a blackish peduncular 

 spot occurs above lateral line, and 1 or 2 more may occur, anterior 

 most on the fifth and sixth lateral line scales, (another indistinctly 

 visible on an occasional specimen (1 specimen among all listed above) 

 just below eleventh or twelfth lateral line scales) ; dorsal part of head 

 blackish to light dusky; abruptly whitish ventrally from corner of 

 mouth along a line a little below eye; dusky areas on rear of opercle, 

 on subopercle, front of isthmus, and adjoining area; lips whitish, 

 lower jaw whitish. 



Color when alive. — Background coloration light bluish -green to light 

 yellowish; dusky bars on each scale bluish, except some of those near 

 head, which may have pink centers bordered with blue; dusky bar 

 below pectoral composed of bluish scales or blue-bordered pink scales; 

 head greenish with pinkish or bluish bands or streaks of characteristic 

 shape; one from tip of snout below eye curving across opercle thence 

 downward and forward to isthmus, this streak irregular and some- 

 what broken into separate parts; caudal, pectoral and pelvic fins light 

 yellowish; dorsal and anal fins yellowish with 2 pinldsh lengthwise 

 streaks in dorsal and one in anal fins; eye orange to yellowish. 



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

 in the coral-algae reefs of the tidal zone and to depths of at least 45 

 feet. 



Remarks. — The figure of trimaculata by Quoy and Gaimard shows 

 3 black spots on upper part of body, whereas Bleeker's figm'e shows 

 two dark spots, one at about fifth or sixth lateral line scale and the 

 other on dorsal part of caudal peduncle, just behind rear of base of 

 soft dorsal. The third spot, just below lateral line and about halfway 

 between the other two, occurs occasionally in preserved specimens. 

 Anterior and posterior dark spots occur frequently. The peduncular 

 dark spot is of regular occurrence. 



