FAMILY MUGILOIDIDAE — SCHULTZ 269 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Bikini Atoll: 4 stations, 5 specimens, 42 to 115 mm. in standard length. 

 Rongelap Atoll: 7 stations, 19 specimens, 39 to 126 mm. 

 Rongerik Atoll: Bock Island, 1 specimen, 85 mm. 

 Kwajalein Atoll: 1 lot, 4 specimens, 87 to 108 mm. 



Description. — Dorsal rays IV,20 or 21; anal, 1,17; pectoral i,16; 

 pelvics 1,5; branched caudal fin rays usually 8+7; scale rows above 

 lateral line from upper edge of gill opening to base of caudal fin 58 to 

 60, scales from anal origin to dorsal fin base 12 to 14 + 1+6 to 8; 

 gill rakers on first gill arch 4 to 6 + to 1 + 10 to 12. 



Greatest depth 6^ to 7%; head length to fleshy rear tip of operculum 

 3 to 3K; length of base of anal fin 2^; and length of base of dorsal 

 fins 1 % to 1 % ; all in standard len gth . Snout 2 . 9 to 3 . 2 ; eye diameter 3 . 9 

 to 4.5; fleshy interorbital 10 to 11; maxillaries from tip of snout to its 

 rear edge 2.6 to 2.7; postorbital length of head 2.0 to 2.1 ; longest dorsal 

 spine 4.7 to 4.9; longest pectoral ray 1.5; longest pelvic ray 1.3 to 1.4; 

 least depth of caudal peduncle 3.5 to 3.7; all in length of head. Least 

 depth of caudal peduncle 1.0 to 1.1 in its length. Interorbital (fleshy) 

 space 2.3 to 3 in eye diameter. 



Body elongate, head somewhat depressed; gill membranes broadly 

 united across isthmus, with a wide free fold; scales ctenoid on body, 

 scales on head confined to operculum and a few scattered ones on the 

 cheeks; dorsal and ventral surfaces of head naked; breast scaled, 

 caudal fin scaled three fourths of its length, pectoral fin rays basally 

 covered with scales; no scales on rays of dorsal anal, and pelvic fins; 

 gill rakers short; thick; a slit behind fourth gill arch; pseudobranchiae 

 present; vomer with villiform patch of teeth, palatines toothless; 

 upper and lower jaws with a patch of viUiform teeth anteriorly, bord- 

 ered on the outside by canine teeth, becoming a single row laterally; 

 lower jaw projects notably in front of tip of snout; much of the maxil- 

 lary slips under preorbital; the two nasal openings separated by a 

 wide dermal isthmus, premaxillaries protractile ; pel vies inserted a Uttle 

 in front of base of pectorals, third dorsal spine longest; fourth pelvic 

 soft ray longest. 



Color in alcohol. — Background color whitish, with a series of 9 

 prominent blackish spots along sides below lateral line, and correspond- 

 ing with these spots are scarcely discernible vertical bars that unite 

 with the adjoining ones above lateral line, thence continue to the base 

 of the dorsal fin, thus forming a W-shaped set of marldngs on upper 

 parts of body; the dorsal part of the sides is abruptly darker than below 

 and the pale portion is set off by a narrow streak of brown dots, mostly 

 above lateral line; dorsal surface of head and back with brown dots; 

 below eye is a brown blotch, and usually behind this a silvery blotch; 

 a black spot below base of pectoral in line with series of black lateral 



