FISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE AND ADJACENT SEAS 163 



Greenish to yellowish silvery, with 15 transverse dusky narrow bars 

 and 7 dusky lines over top of head. Black ocellus on breast before 

 ventral base. Length 211 mm. (Bleeker.) 



Apparently related to Holacanthus lamarck, the soft dorsal and 

 anal ending in slender points. 



HOLACANTHUS XANTHOMETOPON Bleeker 



Holacanthus xanthometapon Bleeker, Nat. Tijds. Nederland. Indie, vol. 4, 

 1853, p. 258. Telokbetong, Sumatra. — Gunther, Cat. Fish. Brit. Mus. 

 vol.' 2, 1860, p. 51 (copied).— Day, Fishes of India, pt. 1, 1875, p. 114 

 (Andamans). — Bleeker, Atlas Ichth. Ind. Neerland., vol. 9, 1877, p. 64, 

 pi. (9) 371, fig. 2 (Sumatra, Goram, Waigiu).— Day, Fauna Brit. India, 

 vol. 2, 1889, p. 18.— Elera, Cat. Fauna Filipin., vol. 1, 1895, p. 489 

 (Cavite, Luzon). — Herre and Montalban, Philippine Journ. Sci., vol. 

 34, No. 1, Sep. 1927, p. 95 (Quiminatin and Cebu). 



Depth 1% to \%; head 2% to 2%, width 1% to 1>^. Snout 2 

 to 2% in head from snout tip; eye 35i to 6, \% to 3 in snout, \\i 

 to 2 in interorbital ; maxillary extends about first % in snout, half 

 way or until opposite front nostril in young, 3 to 3% in head; inter- 

 orbital 3 to 3,1/8, broadly convex; preopercle spine along inner edge 

 2% to 3%. Gill rakers 5+11 or 12 short tubercles about }4 to }4 

 of gill filaments, which about long as eye. 



Scales 50 to 52 counted along and above lateral line to caudal 

 base; tubidar scales 46 or 47; 7 scales above lateral line, 20 or 21 

 below. Scales with 6 basal radiating striae; apical denticles 42 to 

 74, each with long slender root; circuli fine. 



D. XIII or XIV, 17, I or 18, i, last spine 1% to 2 in total head 

 length, eighth ray 1 to 13^; A. Ill, 17, i, third spine IJ/g to 2, tenth 

 ray 1^ to IJ--^; least depth of caudal peduncle 2 to 2]^; caudal con- 

 vex behind, 1}4 to l}4; pectoral 1 to l>i; ventral 2^ to 2}^ in 

 combined head and body. 



Generally brown on body, each scale with large bluish blotch, 

 mostly dusky or slaty now. Interorbital broadly forward to include 

 nostrils and rim around orbit, pale brownish to buff, also sometimes 

 obscure bluish spots may be scattered about. Head otherwise dark or 

 neutral-brown, sides variably, though usually with thick-set buff spots 

 mostly with dark edges or bordering lines. Hind edge of opercular 

 membrane buff. Dorsals, caudal and pectoral buff, each of former 

 2 fins edged narrowly bluish and sometmies pectoral. Anal largely 

 deep brown anteriorly, paler behind and edge narrowly blue. Soft 

 vertical fins usually, but not always variably marked with fine close- 

 set blue dots, even invading blackish ocellus on last soft dorsal rays, 

 which larger than eye. Ventrals dusky, front edges narrowly bluish. 

 Iris light brownish. 



East Indies region. The dorsal ocellus is variable, sometimes 

 extending as black blotch down on front of caudal peduncle above . 

 Bleeker reported but 3 examples, 127 to 239 mm. long. 



