272 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 02 Vol. 2 



PARAPERCIS CYLINDRICA (Bloch) 



Plate 112, B 



Sciaena cylindrica Bloch, Naturgeschichte der auslandischen Fische, pt. 6, p. 42, 

 pi. 299, fig. 1, 1792 (reference copied). 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Bikini Atoll: Urochi Island, ocean reef, July 13, S-46-251, Herald, 1 specimen, 

 97 mm. 



Rongelap Atoll: Kabelle Island, lagoon reef, June 20, S-46-231, Schultz and 

 Herald, 1 specimen, 96 mm. 



Description. — Dorsal rays V,21; anal 1,17; pectorals i,14; pelvics 

 1,5; branched caudal fin rays 8 + 7; scale rows above lateral line from 

 upper edge of gill opening to caudal fin base 54 or 55; scales in a row 

 from anal origin to dorsal fin base 14 or 15 + 1+4; gill rakers (one 

 count) 4+0+6. 



Greatest depth 4.3 to 5.0; head length to fleshy tip of operculum 3.5 

 to 3.7; length of base of anal fin 2.3; of base of dorsal fins 1.6 to 1.7; 

 all in standard length. Snout 2.3 to 2.4; eye 4.1; fleshy interorbital 

 6.7 to 7.5; maxillary from tip of snout to its rear edge 2.2 to 2.6; 

 postorbital length of head 2.5 to 2.6; longest dorsal spine 2.5 to 2.6; 

 longest pectoral ray 1.3 to 1.4; longest pelvic ray 0.8 to 0.9; least 

 depth of caudal peduncle 2.9 to 3.0; all in length of head. Least depth 

 of caudal peduncle 1.0 in its length. Interorbital (fleshy) space 1.6 

 to 1.9 in eye diameter. 



Body elongate, more robust than in clafhrata and cephalopunctatus ; 

 dorsal part of head little depressed; gill membranes forming a broad 

 free fold across isthmus; scales ctenoid on body, cheeks and operculum 

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

 caudal fin scaled from half to three fourths distance to tip of rays; 

 base of pectoral rays scaled; other fins naked; gill rakers short, thick; 

 slit behind fourth gill arch; pseudobranchiae present; vomer with a 

 narrow band of villiform teeth; upper and lower jaw with a broad 

 patch of vflliform teeth anteriorly, then externally enlarged conical 

 teeth, teeth at sides of jaws in a narrow band bordered externally with 

 small conical teeth; upper and lower jaws of nearly equal length; 

 maxillary partly slips under the preorbital; nasal openings on each 

 side separated by a wide dermal isthmus; premaxillaries protractile; 

 pelvics inserted under bases of pectoral; fourth dorsal spine longest. 



Color in alcohol. — Background color whitish, with 9 or 10 dark 

 brown bars on lower sides of body, then forming a reticulated pattern 

 above lateral line; along base of dorsal fin occur black spots in pairs at 

 base of fin ray then following fin ray ^vithout a spot; the dark bars meet 

 their fellow along midventral line of body; a dark brown blotch at 

 base of each pelvic fin; V-shaped brown band across breast; white 



