280 BULLETIN 180, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



spots on body but seven or eight double black bars, the width of 

 these lines not wider than pupil ; along midaxis of body of young 

 middle three have formed in their centers a black-bordered round 



pale spot Salarias aneitensis Giinther 



9&. Lateral line ending under spiny dorsal or below the notch between 

 dorsals; greatest depth of body is contained more than 4% times 

 in standard length ; peritoneum dusky to black. 

 10a. Pair of cirri on eyes simple, long, and slender ; for about two- 

 thirds to three-fourths of eye diameter they are unbranched 

 and not with fringed edges; nasal tentacles multifid. 

 lla. Dorsal rays XIII, 20 or 21; anal rays 23 or 24; arch of 

 lateral line descending to midaxis of body and ending under 

 last third of spiny dorsal ; a pair of tentacles on nape except 

 in breeding males with crest developed; in breeding males 

 soft dorsal joined to caudal as much as one-fifth to one- 

 fourth of upper caudal fin ray, but mostly free in females; 

 depth 5% to 61/3; head 4%, to 5; eye 3% to 4; pelvics 

 1% to 2 in head; longest soft dorsal rays iMo to 1% in 

 head ; dorsals deeply notched but membrane attached to one- 

 fifth to one-fourth of first soft dorsal rays ; upper lip somewhat 

 crenulate ; color of breeding males brown, with about eight 

 indistinct bars or blotches ; sides with two rows of blackish 

 (probably pale centers in life) spots, one above and other 

 below midaxis of body, a few other such spots scattered on 

 sides ; dorsals, caudal, and anal fins plain blackish ; pec- 

 torals and pelvics plain pale ; upper part of opercle with a 

 distinct blotch or spot; color of immature males and of 

 females — light brown to nearly white, with seven or eight 

 vertical bars Y- or V-shaped below midaxis of body (open 

 part of Y or V situated ventrally) ; often in each bar a 

 pair of small, black-bordered, pale (blue) spots, these in 

 two longitudinal rows, one near midaxis of body and other 

 about midway to dorsal line; behind eye a persistent oblong 

 pale area, with a dark, sometimes blackish, posterior 

 border ; also another blackish spot on opercle, often obscure ; 

 dorsals pale, with body bars sometimes extending on rays ; 

 caudal mostly pale, a small light area near base on ray at 

 axis, bordered above and below with blackish pigment ; 

 margin of anal dusky, but tips of rays white, basal three- 

 fourths of anal whitish ; lower lip with patch of black pig- 

 ment each side of midline; upper lip at midline pigmented 

 and another area at each side, interspace pale; chin some- 

 times with a diffuse black transverse bar ; in very small 

 specimens bars mostly represented by a pair of spots above 

 axis and another pair halfway down below axis of body. 

 Color in life over coral sand ; dorsal fin pale orange ; bars 

 on sides, U-shaped below, orange-brown ; dorsal half of caudal 

 region pale green ; caudal fin pale green ; spots on sides 

 silvery white bordered with orange-brown ; belly silvery. 

 Salarias periophthalmus Valenciennes 

 11&. Dorsal rays XIII, 18 or 19; anal 21 or 22; arch of lateral 

 line flat-topped, not extending to midaxis of body and ending 

 at beginning of last fourth of spiny dorsal ; a pair of tiny 

 simple tentacles at nape ; crest not developed ; soft dorsal 



