216 BULLETIN 180, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Genus CHEILIO Lacepede 



Cheilio Lacepede, Histoire natnrelle des poissons, vol. 4, p. 432, 1803. [Type, 

 CheUo auratus Lacepede {=Lal)rus inemiis ForskSl).] 



CHEILIO INERMIS (Forskil) 



Labrus inermis Fobskal, Desciiptiones animalium . . ., p. 34, 1775. 

 52478, Apia, Samoa, Jordan and Kellogg, 2 specimens. 



Genus CORIS Lacepede 



Coris Lacep£;de, Histoire naturelle des poissons, vol. 3, p. 96, 1802. (Type, Ooris 

 aygula Lacepede.) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF CORIS FROM THE PHOENIX AND SAMOAN ISLANDS (see 



table 24) 



la. Head vi'ith scattered, pale-bordered, brown or black spots (a few also on body 

 next to head), these becoming faint or absent in specimens a foot long; a 

 white band around body from below rear of spinous dorsal to region of 

 anal origin, more or less faint in adults a foot long; body brownish or 

 blackish, head paler ; margins of dorsal and anal white in specimens 6 

 inches long ; rear margin of caudal fin white in specimens 7 inches in total 

 length and shorter but almost blackish in larger ones; pelvics dusky; 

 pectoral pale, at least distally, other fins blackish. Color of a specimen 

 34.5 mm. in standard length: Background color pale (probably green in 

 life) ; a large black spot occupying membranes between five rays at end of 

 spines and beginning of soft dorsal rays, a second black spot at rear base of 

 soft dorsal surrounded by a brown ring on body and dorsal fin ; base of 

 caudal fin crossed with a curved black band; margin of anal pale, rest of 

 anal fin blackish ; margin of dorsal fin pale, rest of dorsal fin somewhat 

 barred. (I refer the small specimen from Canton Island reef to this species 



mostly on the basis of the spots on the head) Coris angulata Lacepfede 



1&. Head unspotted and no white band around middle of body. 

 2a. A black-bordered white spot on top of tip of snout ; black-bordered with 

 white saddles under spinous dorsal, under middle of soft dorsal, and a 

 little behind rear base of soft dorsal on caudal peduncle ; a black narrow 

 band across basal region of caudal fin ; margin or dorsal and anal fins 

 with fine white margin then a submarginal black line, rest of fin pale. 



Coris greenovi (Bennett) 

 2b. Body and head mostly blackish, distal two-thirds of caudal fin white ; head 

 with about four dark bands, one from mouth below eye across cheeks, 

 one from rear of eye to upper part of opercle, one on top of snout past 

 upper margin of eye to origin of spiny dorsal, one in middorsal line of 

 head ; margin of dorsal and anal with a black line, then submarginally 

 pale, basal part of these fins spotted and barred ; pectoral pale ; pelvics 

 dusky Coris gaimard (Quoy and Gaimard) 



