276 BULLETIN 180, UNITED STATE© NATIONAL MUSEUM 



RUPISCARTES S ALIENS (Lacepede) 



Blennius saliens Lacepede, Histoire uaturelle des poissons, vol. 2, p. 479, 1800. 



The following description is based on the specimens collected by 

 me at Tutiiila Island and Tau Island. Apparently this remarkable 

 species does not occur on the low coral atolls of the Phoenix Islands. 



Pelvic rays I, 4; depth about 7iA in the standard length; dorsal 

 rays XIV, 23; anal 28 or 29; pectoral 15, the ninth or tenth ray 

 longest; tips of caudal rays exsert«d; lips crenulate; snout projects 

 a little in front of eye ; nasal cirrus simple, very small ; multifid cirri 

 on top of each eye ; no cirrus on nape ; crest well developed on males ; 

 canines present; dorsal fin not joined to caudal; dorsals somewhat 

 joined, about one-third to one-half of first soft ray, the notch a deep 

 emargination ; peritoneum black; color blackish, with about 11 pale 

 blotches along base of dorsal and numerous vertical pale lines on 

 side of body, about 12 pairs of these whiter than the others; caudal 

 fin blackish, very intense posteriorly; head, body anteriorly, also 

 base of pectorals covered with small black spots, except the ventral 

 surface of head and body, these spots most distinct on breeding 

 males; dorsals and anals blackish with tips of rays pale; lateral line 

 probably undeveloped externally. 



This species is abundant on the lava rocks and in the small pools 

 at the upper limits of the wave action. Here it may be seen skipping 

 about in tiny trickles of water and ascending the bare face of rocks 

 to a height of 6 or 8 feet. No other blenny is so nimble on the reefs 

 as this species. I did not find it on the coral atolls, only on islands 

 where lava rocks occurred. 



11544G, Tutuila Island, Fagasa Bay, rook pools. Juue 5, 1939, 105 specimens. 

 115447, Tutnila Island, reef at entrance Pago Pago Bay, June 2, 1939, 25 

 specimens. 



115445, Tau Island, reef at Siulagi Point, June 27, 1939, 18 specimens. 

 52262, Pago Pago, Samoa, Jordan and Kellogg. 3 specimens. 



Genus SALARIAS Cuvier 



S^alarias CTn'iER, Regne animal, vol. 2, p. 251, 1817. (Type, Malarias quadripennis 

 Cuvier.) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF SALARIAS FROM THE PHOENIX AND SAMOAN ISLANDS 



la. Spiny dorsal continuous with soft dorsal or only a slight emargination be- 

 tween two fins, no deep notch in membrane between next to last spine and 

 first soft ray ; peritoneum black ; depth of body contained in standard 

 length fewer than 4 times; soft dorsal joined to caudal fin for one-fourth 

 to one-fifth of upper ray ; a dermal flap at rear corners of lower lips 

 projecting one-half to two-thirds pupil ; canines absent ; dorsal rays XII, 

 20; anal 21 ; pelvics I, 2 or I, 3; pectoral 14, 10th ray of pectoral longest; 

 nasal tentacles long, trifid or bifid ; 1 to 3 cirri, over each eye, about one- 

 half diameter of eye; nape with a pair of broad-based multifid cirri; 

 crest undeveloped ; depth S'^^ ; head 4% ; eye 4 ; height of longest soft 

 dorsal ray 1% in head; lips not cronulate; color light brownish with 



