FAMILY CIRRHITIDAE — SCHULTZ 261 



anal ray to midcaudal fin base) 1.8 to 1.9. Interorbital space (bony) 

 1.5 to 2.0 in eye. 



Greatest depth opposite front of spiny dorsal fin; head blunt, profile 

 of snout steep; interorbital space concave; gill membranes broadly 

 joined across isthmus, free, with numerous, fine, embedded scales; 

 maxillary, except posterior end, concealed under preorbital edge; lips 

 thick; lower jaw a little shorter than upper, mouth slightly oblique; 

 cheek with fine embedded scales; nostrils separated by a wide dermal 

 isthmus, anterior nostril with a tuft of cirri on posterior rim; posterior 

 side of tips of dorsal spines with a tuft of cirri; no accessory pelvic 

 scale; scales cycloid.; vomer with a triangular patch of villiform teeth; 

 palatines toothless; jaws with a band of villiform teeth, along outer 

 margins of which are short, somewhat enlarged conical teeth ; lateral 

 line complete; pelvic insertion behind base of pectoral; bases of soft 

 dorsal and of anal with a few scales, mostly anteriorly; first two lower 

 simple pectoral rays longest; rear margin of caudal a little convex, 

 nearly truncate; posterior margin of preopercle finely serrate. 



Color in alcohol. — Background color pale or whitish, overlaid with 

 numerous brown blotches and some smaller black spots; tip of chin 

 next to thick lower lip with a dark brown spot, then a white space 

 followed by a blackish or brownish bar; behmd eye a distinct blackish 

 spot; along base of dorsal fin usually 4 more or less distinct dark 

 blotches, sometimes the dark blotches are arranged to form about 3 or 

 4 vertical bars, most evident in the smaller specimens; no small dark 

 spots on snout; no small round white spots. 



Color when alive. — Background color whitish, tinged with olive, dark 

 spots brownish to blackish; the two dark streaks under eye yellowish 

 brown; pectoral dull orange; no blue spots. 



Ecology. — This species was taken on the reefs, where the surf was 

 strong, among coral heads and in the surge channels. 



Remarks. — A comparison of specimens of Cirrhitus from numerous 

 parts of the tropical Indo-Pacific has revealed conclusively that several 

 species are passing under the name of pinnulatus. We have studied 

 this problem and are able to recognize the various species separated in 

 the key, mostly by means of basic color patterns. The number of 

 specimens, except for pinnulatus, are too few as yet to place much 

 reliance on counts. The specimens of pinnulatus in the U. S. National 

 Museum indicate that it may be confined to the tropical Pacific south 

 of the Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Island. We believe Smith 

 (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 12, vol. 4, pp. 629-632, 1951) has confused 

 spilotoceps Schultz with pinnulatus. The latter, we think does not 

 occur in the eastern Indian Ocean region, and Smith may never have 

 seen a specimen of the true pinnulatus, which was very common in the 

 Phoenix and Marshall Islands. 



