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



Rongelap Atoll: 2 stations, 2 specimens, 18 to 25 mm. 

 Guam: 1 lot, 6 specimens, 19 to 27 mm. 

 Saipan: 1 lot, 1 specimen, 18 mm. 



Description. — Dorsal rays III-XII or XIII-9 or 10; anal 1,17 to 

 20; pectoral ii to iv,4 to 7,vi or vii; pores in lateral lines 16 to 19-1-16 

 to 19; pelvics 1,2; branched caudal rays 5-t-4 or 5; 3 scales between 

 upper lateral line and middle of base of second dorsal and usually 5 

 scales between anal origin and lateral line; one small cirrus on each 

 eye, dorsally; one small cirrus on dorsal edge of anterior nostril. Head 

 3.0 to 3.2, greatest depth 4.0 to 4.2, longest pectoral ray (tenth or 

 eleventh from dorsal edge of fin) 3.1 to 3.4; snout to anus 2.0 to 2.1; 

 all in standard length. Snout 3.4 to 3.5; eye 3.0 to 3.9; postorbital 

 length of head 2.0 to 2.1; least depth of caudal peduncle 3.0 to 3.3; 

 greatest depth 1.3 to 1.4; all in length of head. Bony interorbital 

 space 2.0 to 3.0 in eye. 



Body scaled, head naked, no scales on fins; base of pectoral naked; 

 breast naked; two lateral lines, upper about 3 scale rows below base 

 of spiny dorsal and ending about opposite base of last dorsal spine, 

 posterior lateral line of smaller pores along midlengthwise axis of body; 

 gill membranes free from isthmus and broadly connecting across it; 

 three dorsal fins, first two of spines, last of soft rays; inner ray of pelvic 

 fin longest; first unbranched and a little enlarged; lower pectoral ray 

 longest, not quite reaching to rear end of dorsal lateral line; last dorsal 

 and last anal ray membranously free from caudal peduncle; vertical 

 line through first dorsal origin passes in front of pectoral base and 

 through rear edge of pelvic base; vertical line through anal origin 

 passes through base of about fifth from last dorsal spine; maxillarj^ 

 reaching to under front edge of eye; snout pointed; small teeth in a 

 band on both jaws, with an outer row of somewhat enlarged teeth; 

 teeth in a triangular-shaped patch on vomer; a few teeth anteriorly on 

 palatines; females may be I'ecognized by the presence of a short and 

 minutely papillate anal organ projecting a very short distance. 



Color in alcohol. — Males brownish on underside and lower sides of 

 head, on pectoral fin base and region of isthmus, including pelvic 

 bases, and on caudal fin. Females plain pale, occasionally a few 

 brown pigment cells dorsally on body, but not on head. 



Ecology. — This species occurred in those collections made in the 

 ocean surf and where the wave action was strong at the outer edge of 

 the reef. 



TRIPTERYGION MINUTUS Gunther 



Figures 110, 111 



Tripterygium minutum Gi^nther, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, vol. 4, pt. 13, p. 

 211, pi. 118, fig. D, 1877 (type locality, Apia, Samoa). 



