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



Description. — Dorsal rays XII, 18 or 19; anal 11,19 to 21; pectoral 

 14 with lower 5 rays swollen; branclied caudal fin rays 5+4; pelvics 

 1,3; orbital cirrus simple; no nuchal cirrus; nasal cutus simple. 



Head 3.9 to 4.2; greatest depth 5.1 to 5.5; longest pectoral ray 4.1 

 to 4.8; snout tip to anus 2.3; anal fin base 2.2 to 2.3; all in standard 

 length. Eye 3.1 to 3.2; snout 2.8 to 3.0; postorbital length of head 

 1.6 to 1.7; greatest depth of body 1.3; least depth 2.9 to 3.1; longest 

 pectoral ray 1.1 to 1.2; longest dorsal spine 1.9 to 2.1; all in length of 

 liead. Fleshy interorbital space 2.5 to 3.0 in eye. 



Orbital tentacle simple, slender, a little flattened in cross section, 

 its length from a third to four-fiftlis eye diameter; no nuchal cirrus; 

 nasal cutus very short, simple, thin, broader than thick; snout profile 

 nearly vertical; edge of both lips smooth; lateral line over pectoral 

 fins, not descending to midlengthwise axis, ending about opposite three- 

 fourths the length of pectoral; vertical line through dorsal origin passes 

 through base of pelvic fins; dorsal fin with a very slight emargination 

 over last dorsal spine; last soft dorsal ray with membrane attaching 

 it to dorsal edge of caudal peduncle; anal fin with membrane attaching 

 last ray to ventral edge of caudal peduncle; anal fin origin about 

 under base of second from last dorsal spine; pectoral fin reaching to 

 anus; anal spines small, first embedded in female; first anal raj^s of 

 adult males not notably swollen at tips; posterior canines present in 

 lower jaw; teeth small, numerous, fixed in both jaws; vomer with a 

 few short conical teeth; distal margin of caudal fin a little rounded; 

 no cephalic crest. 



Color in alcohol. — Background coloration whitish to light tan, with 

 7 or 8 blackish or brownish blotches representing vertical bars on 

 body, these intensified along midlengthwise axis, where they form 

 dark spots, and anteriorly a smaller dark spot occurring between the 

 larger ones; the vertical dark bars continue faintly to anal base; a 

 dark spot or blotch in upper part of opercle, another at midbase of 

 caudal fin, totaling usually 14 dark blotches along middle of sides; 

 the vertical dark bars on sides continue dorsally as double dark 

 blotches and extend onto basal two-thirds of dorsal fin; underside of 

 head dusky anteriorly; whitish posteriorly; head often with scattered 

 small bright white spots, finely edged with a brown line; pelvics and 

 pectoral pale. 



Ecology. — This species occurred mostly on the ocean reef and in 

 shallow pools left at low tide on the flat parts of the reef or in pools 

 near the high tidal level ^^here wave action was strong; in the lagoon 

 it occurred where wave action was strong on the reef. The species 

 was more abundant if crevices were present in pools in the beach rock 

 or if other protection occurred. 



