FISHES OF THE PHOENIX AND SAMOAN ISLANDS 79 



Family MUGILIDAE 



KEY TO THE MUGILIDAE OF THE PHOENIX AND SAMOAN ISLANDS BASED ON 

 SPECIMENS IN THE NATIONAL MUSEUM 



la. Upper and lower lips each with two rows of teeth, their tips trifid, these 

 flexible teeth on edge of lips, those on upper lip directed downward, those 

 on lower lip curved outward and upward; cleft of mouth oblique; no 

 adipose eyelids; maxillary not visible when mouth is closed; lower jaw 

 acute; no emargination in ventral edge of preorbital, the posterior edge 

 denticulate; snout longer than eye, pointed; origin of first dorsal a little 

 closer to base of caudal than tip of snout; length of pectoral IVi in head; 

 origin of second dorsal over middle of anal; axillary scale not over % of 

 pectoral; least depth of caudal peduncle 1% in its length and 2^/5 to 2% in 

 head; snout 2% to 3 in head, and IVs in least depth of caudal peduncle; 

 dorsal rays IV-I, 10 or 11; anal III, 10; scale rows on side of body 43 

 to 46; pectoral rays about 15; gill rakers approximately 38+46. 



Neoniyxus chaptalii (Eydoux and Souleyet) 

 16. Lips not as In la ; cleft of mouth not oblique but nearly horizontal. 

 2a. Adipose eyelid present, covering at least one-half of iris posteriorly; both 

 lips smooth ; angle between margins of lower Jaw 110° to 115° ; posterior 

 end of maxillary visible when mouth is closed ; ventral margin of pre- 

 orbital emarginate and weakly denticulate, its posterior mai-gin denticu- 

 late ; snout a trifle shorter than diameter of eye ; origin of first dorsal 

 equal distance between front of eye and base of caudal fin rays; length 

 of pectoral about IVio iu head; origin of second dorsal over middle of 

 anal ; axillary scale about % of pectoral ; least depth of caudal peduncle 

 1% in its length and 2^2 in the head ; snout four in head and 1% in least 

 depth of caudal peduncle ; dorsal rays IV-I, S ; anal III, 9 ; pectoral about 

 15 ; scale rows side of body 33 to 35 ; gill rakers approximately 31+55. 



Mugil engeli Bleeker 

 2b. Adipose eyelid lacking. 



3(?. Number of scale rows crossing body from upper edge of gill opening 

 to base of caudal fin rays 26; upper half of pectoral fin black, lower 

 half yellow in life as are the other fins ; angle between margins of lips 

 lower jaw about 120° ; posterior tip of maxillary visible when mouth 

 is closed; a row of very minute teeth along edge of upper lip; both 

 lips smooth; ventral margin of preorbital notched or deeply emargi- 

 nate, denticulate; posterior margin rounded and denticulate; snout 

 as long as or a trifle longer than diameter of eye; origin of first 

 dorsal an equal distance between the rear 1/5 of eye and base of 

 caudal fin rays ; length of pectoral 1% in head ; origin of second 

 dorsal over and about % way along the anal; axillary scale rudi- 

 mentary or absent; least depth of caudal peduncle IV2 in its length 

 and 2Vt in the head; snout 3% in head and 1% in least depth of 

 caudal peduncle; dorsal rays IV-I, 8; anal III, 8; pectoral about 

 14 ; gill rakers about 20 to 32+38 to 58. 



Mugil vaigiensis Quoy and Gaimard 



3b. Scale rows from 30 to 40 across side of body; pectoral nearly plain 



in color, not blackish dorsally; angle between margins of pointed 



lower jaw about 120°. 



4a. Scale rows 32 to 33; posterior tip of maxillary visible when mouth 



is closed ; a row of very minute teeth along edge of upper lip ; both 



lips smooth; ventral margin of preorbital emarginate, denticulate; 



posterior margin rounded, denticulate ; no black spot at iipper base 



