66 BULLETIN 18 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



basal third of membranes white with a tiny blacli spot anteriorly be- 

 tween each spine Holocentrus opercularis Valenciennes 



2&. Dorsal rays X-I, 12 ; anal IV, 8 ; scales 42 to 45. 



3o. Dorsal fin with a large black blotch between the first to fourth spines; 

 anterior edges of soft dorsal and soft anal blackish ; upper and lower 

 edges of caudal blackish ; body with about 10 horizontal rows of 

 blackish close set spots, cheek with five or six rows of black spots ; 



gill rakers 7 or 8+1+10 or 11 Holocentrus sammara (ForskSl) 



3&. Dorsal fin plain, no black blotch anteriorly ; anterior edges of soft 

 dorsal and soft anal without or with only a trace of blackish pig- 

 ment ; upper and lower edges of caudal fin blackish ; 10 or 11 hori- 

 zontal rows of blackish spots on body, cheek with about five or six 

 rows of black spots ; gill rakers 6 or 7+8 to 10. 



Holocentrus laevis Giinther 

 1&. Dorsal rays XI, 13 to 16; anal IV, 9 or 10. 

 4a. Scale rows on side of body from upper edge of gill opening to base of 

 caudal fin rays fewer than 40. 

 5a. Body with longitudinal stripes; anterior margins of soft dorsal, soft 

 anal and soft pelvic blackish ; upper and lower margins of caudal 

 fin blackish ; distal portion of membranes between dorsal spines black- 

 ish, also blackish along very base of this fin ; dorsal rays XI, 18 ; anal 

 IV, 9; scales 36 to 38; gill rakers 6 or 7+1+12 or 13. 



Holocentrus ruber (Forskil) 



5&. Body without stripes ; scales posteriorly brownish, anteriorly with a 



silvery crescent ; upper ijosterior margin of opercle blackish ; margins 



of fins all pale; dorsal rays XI, 13 or 14; anal IV, 9 or 10; scales 



37 to 39; gill rakers 7 or 8+1+ 10 to 13. 



Holocentrus violaceus Blocker 

 46. Scale rows on side of body numbering more than 41. 

 6a. Scale rows on side of body 42 to 49. 



7a. Scale rows on side of body about 43 to 45; fourth dorsal spine 

 longer than maxillaries, maxillaries contained in this spine 1 1/10 

 to 11/4 times; maxillaries about 2% in head; color of spinous dorsal 

 mostly pale with only traces of pigment. 

 8a. Dorsal surface of caudal peduncle without silvery area just pos- 

 terior to base of soft dorsal; dorsal rays XI, 13; anal IV, 9; 



gill rakers 8+1+13 Holocentrus blnotatus Quoy and Gaimard 



8&. Dorsal surface of caudal peduncle silvery just behind base of soft 

 dorsal fin; dorsal rays XI, 14; anal IV, 9; gill rakers about 



7+1+11 Holocentrus caudimaculatus Riippell 



76. Scales about 46 to 49. 

 9o. Dorsal rays XI, 15 or 16; anal IV, 10; gill rakers about 7+1+11 or 

 12 ; on dorsal side of caudal peduncle just posterior to base of soft 

 dorsal with a grayish to silvery spot, usually dark in small speci- 

 mens and silvery in large ones ; upper axil of pectoral grayish ; 

 spinous dorsal fin plain pale in color ; third anal spine much shorter 

 than from front of eye to rear of head. 



Holocentrus spinifer (Forsk&l) 

 96. Dorsal rays XI, 13 (rarely 14) ; anal IV, 9; gill rakers 5 to 7 + 1+10 

 to 12; spinous dorsal fin with small grayish or brownish blotches 

 in a row about % the way out from base of fin ; body profusely 

 speckled with brown or blackish pigment cells ; third anal spine 

 equal to distance from front of eye to rear of head. 



Holocentrus lacteo-guttatus Cuvier 



