368 



U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUHvI BULLETIN 2 02 



Vol. 2 



Color in alcohol. — Background coloration brownish or blackish, 

 sides sometimes with about 7 dark bars separated b}^ 2 or 3 vertical 

 whitish streaks; head dusky. 



Ecology. — This remarkable species has not been taken on the reefs 

 of low coral atolls, but is abundant on islands where pools occur in 

 the lava rocks at the upper tidal level, in areas of strong wave action. 

 There it may be seen skipping about in tiny trickles of water and 

 ascending vertical crevices in the bare face of lava rocks to a height 

 of 8 feet above the water in the pool. It remains out of water for a 

 considerable length of time. Because of its nimbleness in climbing, 

 the species is not easily captured. 



Remarks.— A. saliens shows a certain amount of variability among 

 the various island groups in the Indo-Pacific. We have not been able 

 to study this variation because of lack of specimens throughout its 

 range. Certain counts were made and these data are recorded in 

 table 116. 



Certain authors cite "Blennius saliens Forster, Itin. vol. 2, p. 343, 

 1788, type locality. Tana Island, New Hebrides" as the first use of 

 the scientific name Blennius saliens. I find that no scientific nnme 

 was used by George Forster in his "Journal of a Voj-age Round the 

 World ..." (vol. 2, p. 343, 1777) w^hen he referred to this blenny. 

 On the page cited he refers to Hawksworth's "Account of the Voyage 

 . . . for IMaking Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere" (vol. 3, 

 p. 529, 1773) in regard to this same blenny and in that work, too, no 

 scientific name is applied. Neither in these or in any other publica- 

 tion of Forster have I found the scientific name Blennius saliens. 



Table 116. — Counts made on Alticus saliens /rom certain localities 



PRAEALTICUS, new genus 



Type species. — Salarias natalis Regan. 



This new genus is distinguished from all other salariian genera by 

 the key on page 305. 



Fowler (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 98, p. 176, fig. 40, 

 1946) described as new from the R^^ukjm Islands Salarias schmidti 

 and upon examination of the holotype it was observed to be a male of 

 Praealticus margaritarius (Snyder), whereas Salarias biorni Fowler 



