350 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 202 Vol. 2 



Color in alcohol. — Background color of adult males light broMTi or 

 light tan, more whitish ventrally, with 7 dark bars on sides and 

 lower sides but absent or obscure dorsally, each bar double ventrally 

 or A-shape; a small blackish spot or silvery blue spot with black 

 margins on gill cover near its upper middle; a pale or whitish spot 

 behind eye, margined posteriorly with a blackish line; nasal cirri 

 usually pale or white; on middle of sides in the dark bars are 5 or 

 6 pairs of bright silvery to bluish white spots bordered by a black 

 line; anal fin and lower part of caudal fin blackish; caudal fin white 

 dorsally and on distal third, basally dark brown. Background color 

 of females and smaller males light tan to whitish; the 7 double dark 

 brown bars on sides sometimes represented more or less as 4 oblong 

 dark spots; basal Yz of dorsal fin blotched or spotted with brown or 

 the fin may be clear; the small dark opercular spot and the spot 

 behind eye present or absent; underside of head whitish, dotted with 

 brown pigment cells; the black-bordered silvery spots on sides usually 

 distinct, but sometimes scarcely discernible, especially on the smallest 

 specimens; basally the pectoral has fine black dots; ventral part of 

 caudal fin dusky, dorsally white; tips of anal rays dusky, basally 

 white. 



Color when alive. — Background color of male light olive tan dorsally, 

 white ventrally; bars on sides dark blackish brown; pale spots or 

 oblong spots bright bluish silvery, margined with dark blue line; 

 head and distal third of dorsal fin with tiny, ver}^ pale, pinkish dots; 

 soft dorsal fin edged with pale orange; the bronze-colored spot behind 

 eye is bordered posteriorly by light bluish silver, opercular spot 

 bluish silver; and another bluish silver spot at corner of mouth on 

 maxillary; base of pectoral blackish, rest of fin light tan; anal fin 

 blackish. Caudal fin >vith rear edge light orange, middle and dorsal 

 portion light yellowish, basal and ventral part blacldsh; iris with 

 bronze bars. 



Ecology. — ♦S'. paulus is one of the commonest species of blennies on 

 the reefs, and it prefers the higher tidal part where there are crevices 

 and large loose blocks among which to hide. In some of the shallow 

 tidal pools and small solution channels on the reefs, exposed at low 

 tide or covered with only a few inches of water, dozens of these 

 blennies may be seen in a characteristic pose — head a little elevated 

 by means of the paired fins, tail curved to one side, and an alert 

 expression in the eye; sometimes most of the fish is out of the water, 

 and to catch it is difficult because with a slight flip this blenny 

 is perched a yard or more away, or it flips from place to place and 

 disappears at a distance of 25 feet or more into some unseen crevice. 

 This species was more abundant where wave action was strong and 



