blenniidae: salariinae — schultz and chapman 



369 



(1946, p. 181, fig. 45) also from the Ryukyu Islands, is a female, and 

 likewise is a synonym of P. margaritarius. 



Counts are recorded in table 117 for species in the genus Praealticus. 



The two species from the Marianas Islands may be separated by 

 means of the following key: 



la. Edges of both lips smooth; snout and under side of head -vvith V-shaped 

 dusky bars, sometimes indistinct P. natalis (Regan) 



16. Edge of upper lip crenulate, that of lower lip crenulate in middle two-thirds 



with outer sixth smooth. Snout and underside of head plain dusky. 



P. amboinensis litter atus, new subspecies 



PRAEALTICUS NATALIS (Regan) 



Plate 120,C 



Salarias natalis Regan, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 405, 1909 (type locality, 

 Christmas Island, Indian Ocean). 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Saipan: 1 lot, 1 specimen, 33 mm. in standard length. 

 Guam: 3 lots, 19 specimens, 18 to 35 mm. 

 Rota Island: 1 lot, 10 specimens, 18 to 41 mm. 

 Tinian Island: 1 lot, 2 specimens, 32 to 33 mm. 



Description. — Dorsal rays XII or XIII, 17 or 18; anal 11,18 to 20, 

 usually 11,19; pectoral 15, rarely 14, with lower 4 rays enlarged; 

 branched caudal rays just beginning to branch at about 40 mm. 

 standard length, adults probably with usual 5+4; pelvics 1,4; orbital 

 tentacle single, edges with numerous cirri; no nuchal cirrus; nasal 

 cirrus single. 



Head 3.7 to 4.1; greatest depth 4.8 to 5.0; longest pectoral ray 4.2 

 to 4.6; snout tip to anus 1.9 to 2.0; anal fin base 2.4 to 2.7; all in 

 standard length. Eye 3.4 to 3.9; snout 2,6 to 2.8; postorbital length 

 of head 1.5 to 1.6; greatest depth of body 1.2 to 1.3; least depth of 

 body 2.6 to 3.0, longest pectoral ray 1.1 to 1.2, longest dorsal spine 

 2.0 to 2.3; all in length of head. Fleshy interorbital space 1.4 to 2.3 

 in eye. 



Orbital tentacle, thin, very broad basally tapering to a point, edges 

 with several to numerous short cirri, its length about % eye diameter; 

 no nuchal cirrus; nasal tentacle short and simple; snout profile rounded; 

 with a somewhat forward slant; edges of both lips smooth; lateral line 



