196 BULLETIN 10 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Subgenus Plectropomus Oken 



Soft dorsal and anal without front lobes distinctly marked and 

 though front rays highest edges of fin slope obliquely back. Body 

 without dark vertical lines on flanks. 



PLECTROPOMUS TRUNCATUS, new species 



Depth S}4 to 3%; head 2% to 2%, width 2% to 2%. Snout 3% 

 to 4% in head from snout tip; eye 4 to 7^, 1 to 2 x /% in snout, 1% to 

 1% in interorbital, greater than interorbital in young; maxillary 

 reaches % in eye to little beyond, expansion 1 to 1% in eye, length 

 2 to 2}/$ in head from snout tip; teeth in narrow bands in jaws, pair 

 of canines in front of each, also 2 or 3 on each mandibular ramus; 

 narrow band of fine teeth on vomer and each palatine; interorbital 



>/$% 



v::..'| 



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W -*• 



Figure 5.— Plectropomus truncatus, new species, variation 



4V2 to 5 in head from snout tip, level; hind preopercle edge entire, 

 lower edge with 3 or 4 antrorse spines; opercular spines 3, median 

 nearer lower and upper most advanced. Gill rakers 6 + 9 to 12, 

 short, 2^3 in gill filaments which 134 in eye; 5 upper and 7 to 10 

 lower rudimentary. 



Scales 94 to 100 in lateral line to caudal base and 12 to 15? more 

 on latter; tubes 81 to 84 in lateral line to caudal base and 8 to 10 

 more on latter; 13 to 16 scales above, 38 to 40 below, 36 to 40 pre- 

 dorsal to occiput, 23 to 25 rows across cheek to preopercle angle; 

 maxillary covered with fine scales. Scales with 6 or 7 basal radiat- 

 ing striae; cireuli fine. 



