288 U-S- NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 02 Vol. 2 



lower lateral line 4; one ciiTus on each eye; one small nasal cirrus 

 on dorsal edge of anterior nostril. Head 3.3 to 3.5; greatest depth 

 5.0 to 5.2; longest pectoral ray (about ninth from dorsal edge) 2.7 to 

 2.9; snout to anus 2.3; all in standard length. Snout 3.5 to 3.7; eye 

 3.3 to 3,8; postorbital length of head 2.0 to 2.1; least depth of caudal 

 peduncle 3.5 to 4.0; greatest depth 1.5 to 1.6; all in length of head. 

 Bony interorbital space 2.7 to 3.0 in eye. 



Bod}'' scaled, head, breast, fins, and pectoral base naked; two lateral 

 lines, upper one about 2 scale rows below base of spiny dorsal and 

 ending about opposite base of third or fourth from last dorsal spine; 

 posterior lateral line of notched scales along midlengthwise axis of 

 body; gill membranes free and broadly connected across isthmus; 

 three dorsal fins, last of soft ra^^s; inner pelvic ra}^ longest; first 

 unbranched and enlarged lower pectoral ray longest and notably 

 reaching past dorsal lateral line to about opposite rear of base of 

 second dorsal; last dorsal and anal ray membranously free from 

 caudal peduncle; vertical line through dorsal origin passes through 

 pelvic base; vertical line through anal origin passes through bases of 

 fifth or sixth from last dorsal spine; rear edge of maxillary a little 

 behind a vertical line through front of eye; small teeth in a band on 

 both jav/s v\dth outer row a little enlarged; teeth in an angular patch 

 on vomer and some small teeth on palatines; females have a short, 

 minutely papillate anal organ projecting a short distance. 



Color in alcohol. — Males have lower part of head moderately pig- 

 mented with brown and remainder of body more sparsely so; caudal 

 fin dark brown or blackish, sometimes with a few cross bars; other 

 fins dusky; pectoral fin with 3 or 4 small dark brown pigment spots. 

 Females are usually plain pale with 3 or 4 small brown pigment spots 

 on pectoral fin. 



Ecology. — This tiny blenny was not abundant in the reefs and when 

 taken usually occurred in areas where the wave action was strong. 



Remarks. — I have reexamined the Phoenix and Samoan Islands 

 specimens, including the types of Jordan and Scale, several of which 

 were not available at the time of my Phoenix Island report (U. S. 

 Nat. Mus. Bull. 180, 1943), and again I refer that material to this 

 species. Jordan and Seale described males and females as separate 

 species. 



TRIPTERYGION NANUS, new species 



Figure 112 



Holotype. — USNM 142233, Eniwetok Atoll, Rujoru Island, lagoon 

 reef, June 2, S-46-195, Schultz, standard length 16 mm., male. 



Paratypes. — USNM 142247, Bikini Atoll, lagoon reef halfway 

 between Bikini and Amen Islands, July 21, 1947, 8^6-442, Brock, 



