FISHES OF THE PHH.IPPINE AND ADJACENT SEAS 107 



than interorbitai in young to \]/2 in interorbital with age ; maxillary 

 to nostrils, to front eye edge with age, 33^ to 334 in head; interorbital 

 3 to 33^, broadly convex. Gill rakers 3 + 18, short, '% of gill fila- 

 ments, which IK in 6y^- 



Scales 38 to 42 between gill opening and caudal base; tubes 35 to 

 38 in lateral line; 8 or 9 scales above lateral line, 21 to 24 below. 

 Scales with 12 or 13 basal radiating striae; apical denticles 61 to 101, 

 with 5 to 7 transverse series of basal elements; circuli fine. 



D. XII or XIII, 27, i or 28, i, fourth spine 1% to 2 in head, fourth 

 ray 1% to 2; A. 111,21, i to 25, i, thu'd spine 1% to 2, fifth ray 1% 

 to 13^; least depth of caudal peduncle 23^ to 3; caudal little convex 

 behind, 13^ to 1%; pectoral 1 to 1%; ventral 1 to 13^. 



Broad pale brown band vertically from_ posterior predorsal region 

 and front of spinous dorsal down till close above ventral base, embraces 

 also all of postocular region, humeral region and pectoral base. Broad 

 blackish band from upper interorbital, supraoccipital and front pre- 

 dorsal down to eye, then over cheek below including all of lower pre- 

 ventral region or lower face of chest; band bordered largely in front 

 and behind by contrasted yellow line, latter strongly delimiting dark 

 muzzle and invading front edge of iris. Interorbital olive ; snout and 

 chin largely dusky, though lips brownish. Scales on most of trunk 

 and tail largely black, each with median pale to yellow spot, which 

 on scales of back much larger. Soft dorsal brownish, margin broadly 

 pale to whitish, with narrow submarginal dusky line. Anal largely 

 blackish, margin broadly whitish, lower edge with black submarginal 

 band superimposed. Caudal base and most of caudal peduncle, at 

 least posteriorly, blackish, fin largely brown, broad margin behind 

 whitish with close blackish narrow submarginal band and another 

 divides pale border from brown median color. Pectoral olivaceous. 

 Ventral black. 



This beautiful fish shows but little change with age and is not 

 abundant in collections. Previously only known from Oceania. 



9651 [1580]. Port Palapag, near northern Samar. June 3, 1909. Length 100 

 mm. Yellows on head and breast show sulphur after short immersion in 

 alcohol, also spots on lower portion of body and yellows of dorsal and caudal. 

 Pale bar across entire body and head posteriorly not so defined above but 

 merging into pale yellow or gray of dorsal medially. Dorsal spines very pale 

 sulphur. Extreme margin of soft dorsal reaches about half way down opercle 

 edge, narrowly white on black line, then broader sulphur band. Third sulphur 

 bar crossing front of cheek continued across front of eye. Lips somewhat pale. 

 Anal edge white, not passing along vertical edge except at rounded point, this 

 on black band divided medianly by obscure sulphur streak, orange on lower 

 vertical edge, but no small spots on anal base and caudal peduncle posteriorly. 

 Tip of caudal hyaline, gray central band broad, reaches almost to base. 



5225 U.S.N. M. Apia, Samoa. Bureau of Fisheries. Four examples. Length. 

 64 to 147 mm. 



