202 



BULLETIN 10 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



half size of pupil; interorbital 4% to 5}4 in head from snout tip; 

 preopercle edge entire; median opercular spine closer to lower which 

 opposite upper. Gill rakers 5 + 12, lanceolate, little longer than gill 

 filaments or 1% in eye; 3 upper and 3 lower rudimentary. 



Scales 93 to 133 in lateral line to caudal base and 12 to 15 more 

 on latter; tubes 83 to 90 in lateral line to caudal base and 11 to 20 

 more on latter; 17 to 20 scales above, 34 to 40 below, 37 to 40 

 predorsal forward to occiput only; 23 to 25 rows across cheek to 

 preopercle edge; body scales without small basal auxiliary scales; 

 fine scales over most all fins; maxillary with upper half of expansion 

 finely scaled in 7 or 8 transverse rows. Scales with 4 or 5 basal 

 radiating striae, with 1 to 5 more incomplete auxiliaries; circuli fine. 



Figure 7.— Plectropomus oliqacanthus Bleeker, variation 



D. VII or VIII, ii, 9, i, or n, 10, 1, third spine 2>% to 3% in total head 

 length, first branched ray 1% to 2}4; A. Ill, i, 7, i, third spine 3^2 

 to 4%, second branched ray 1% to 2%; caudal 1% to 1}^, emargi- 

 nate behind; least depth of caudal peduncle 2% to 2%; pectoral 2 to 

 2%; ventral 2% to 2%. 



Brown above, paler below. Head, back anteriorly, also soft dorsal 

 and anal fins, with dark brown longitudinal lines. Dark brown ver- 

 tical parallel lines all along flanks and rest of body and caudal spotted 

 finely with dark brown. Pectoral dark brown with blue lines, hind 

 border yellowish. Ventral brown, paler basally. 



East Indies, Philippines, Micronesia. A well-marked species allied 

 with Plectropomus maculatus but with an entirely different color pat- 

 tern. Also with age the soft dorsal and anal have an elevated front lobe. 



