60 BULLETIN 180, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



rays, 51 anal, and 70 scales from gill opening to base of caudal fin 

 rays. It may be a specimen of Aseraggodes melanostictiis (Peters). 

 115223, Hull Island, channel, July 8-12, 1939, 1 specimen. 



Order BERYCOIDEI 

 Family HOLOCENTRIDAE 



KEY TO GENERA OF HOLOCENTRmAE FROM PHOENIX AND SAMOAN ISLANDS 



la. Preopercle without a conspicuous spine at lower angle. 

 2a. Scales strongly ctenoid ; dorsal spines X-I ; opercle with one spine at 



upper angle Myripristis Cuvier 



2&. Scales very rough and spiny ; dorsal spines XII, opercle with two or 



three spines at upper angle Holotrachys Giinther 



16. Preopercle with a strong backward-projecting spine at lower angle ; opercle 

 with two spines at upper angle Holocentrus Scopoli 



My study of the family Holocentridae indicates that it is in need 

 of careful revision. When this is done the names that I have applied 

 to the species found in the Phoenix and Samoan Islands may have to 

 be changed. 



Genus MYRIPRISTIS Cuvier 



Myripristis Cuviee, R^gne animal, ed. 2, vol. 2, p. 150, 1829. (Type, My i~i prist is 

 jacobus Cuvier and Valenciennes.) 



In studying the genus Myripristis I have found that Jordan and 

 Evermann, Jordan and Scale, Giinther, and others failed completely 

 to distinguish between the various species of this genus in the Ha- 

 waiian and Samoan Islands. The diagnoses of various species by 

 Jordan and his coworkers are of little value because in most of the 

 jars identified by them I have found two to four species mixed. 

 Further, it is highly probable that many of the cotypes that have 

 been distributed to several museums are of different species than the 

 types, so inadequate was the understanding of the species in this 

 genus by its earlier describers. 



It will not be possible to untangle the various names used for the 

 species in this genus until the types of several species are examined 

 in European museums. 



KEY TO THE GENUS MYRIPRISTIS (see table 6) 



la. Dorsal rays X-I, IG or 17 (usually 17) ; anal IV, 15 or 16; gill rakers on 

 first gill arch 10 (o 12 + 1 + 22 to 2G = 34 to 38 ; scale rows between 

 upper gill opening and base of caudal fin rays 42 to 44; rear border of 

 opercle blackish, pigment extending down to opposite upper edge of pec- 

 toral base; shoulder blackish under edge of opercle, this band joining 

 with black in axil of pectoral ; caudal fin sometimes dusky. 



Myripristis multiradiatus Giinther 



16. Dorsal soft rays 14 to 16 (very raroly 16) ; anal rays 12 to 15 (very rarely 15). 



