FISHES OF THE PHOENIX AND SAMOAN ISLANDS 

 COLLECTED IN 1939 DURING THE EXPEDITION 



OF THE U. S. S. "BUSHNELL'^ 



By Leonard P. Schui.tz 



ITINERARY 



In 1939, tlirough the courtesy of the United States Department 

 of the Navy, I was detailed by the National Museum as naturalist 

 on the Navy Surveying Expedition to the Phoenix and Samoan 

 Islands. We left San Diego, Calif., on the IT. S. S. Dushnell on 

 April 1 and arrived in Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, on April 11 enroute 

 to the Phoenix Islands.^ 



Between San Diego and the Hawaiian Islands several attempts 

 were made with a submarine light to attract invertebrates and fishes, 

 but the only important capture was some small specimens of Pacific 

 saury {Cololahis saira Breevoort) half and two-thirds the way to 

 Hawaii." Although a few specimens were taken in San Diego and 

 at Oahu and some flyingfish enroute, serious collecting did not begin 

 until April 23, in the lagoon of Canton Island, of the Phoenix group. 



Canton Island is a coral atoll 4 or 5 miles wide and 9 miles long, 

 with a large lagoon well supplied with coral growth. On the lee- 

 ward side are two channels, a deep one near the radio stations and 

 a wide shallow channel with exposed reef at low tide to the north. 

 At extreme tides of 3 to 4 feet the water flows out the deep channel 

 at the rate of several miles an hour. In the lagoon fishes and inver- 

 tebrates abound, but because of the coral heads their capture with 

 nets is difficult. 



On April 30 the BushncU arrived off McKean Island, latitude 

 3°35'S., longitude 174°6'W. This island is about 15 feet above the 



^ Several of the ofiicers and men of the Buahncll aided in tlie collecting in various ways. 

 Among those to whom thanks are due are Comdr. J. M. Lewis, Lt. Comdr. W. B. Coleman, 

 Lt. H. N. Coffin, Lt. J. H. Fortune, Lt. T. D. Shriver, Lt. B. L. Talman, Lt. Comdr. (SC) 

 L. A. Klauer, and especially ,Comdr. (MC) XL D. Ilulibard, wlio assi,<,'nod to me as assistants 

 at various times Artliur Petit and Charles KacIvllfTe, pharmacist mates of the U. S. Navy. 

 Without the cooperation of Dr. Hubbard it would have been impossible to collect so many 

 specimens. 



^Irs. Aime M. Awl, artist, U. S. National Museum, has drawn all the figures of the new 

 species. 



a Copeia, 1940, No. 4. p. 270. 



