PISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE AND ADJACENT SEAS 24] 



to 3, convexly elevated; opercle, preopercle flange and humeral arch 

 feebly striate. Gill rakers 6 + 13, short points. 



Scales ovoid, very small, with fine, close-set circuli; apical denticles 

 8 to 14, with 9 or 10 transverse series of basal cusps. 



D. IX, 23, I to 24, I, ninth spine 1^4 to 2, first ray 1 3^ to 14/^; A. 

 Ill, 22, 1 or 23, 1, third spine 2% to 23^, first ray 2 to 2^; caudal deeply 

 emarginate or lunate, w^ith ends elongated points, 2 to 2% in com- 

 bined head and body; least depth of caudal peduncle 2y^ to 2}^ in 

 head; pectoral 1; ventral 1}4 to 1%. 



Largeh' uniform chocolate brown, the trunk and tail with exceed- 

 ingly fine, slightly waved longitudinal parallel lines. Head marked 

 with thickset small round spots all greatly less than pupil and gray- 

 ish in color, variably more numerous and close-set with age. Elon- 

 gate black blotch about equals pupil width and its length 1^ eye 

 diameters, horizontal in position. Groove of caudal spine dusky or 

 blackish. Fins all more or less deep brown to dusky, dorsals and anals 

 both with 6 to 9 longitudinal darker parallel bands, which often 

 obscure or absent in preserved examples. Caudal deep or dusky 

 brown, often with transverse pale gray to whitish basal band, often 

 absent with age, when fin appears uniform dusky. Pectoral deep 

 or dusky brown, with terminal third formed largely or entirely as 

 pale or yellowish-brown blotch. Ventral neutral-dusky. 



East Indies, Philippines, Melanesia. 



This species belongs with those we identify as Hepatus nigrofuscus , 

 Hepatus grammoptilus and Hepatus hariene in the pearly or whitish 

 transverse caudal band. Otherwise it differs from all in the combi- 

 nation of color-design descibed above. Especially characteristic is the 

 elongated horizontal humeral blackish blotch and the pale end to the 

 pectoral fins. Ahl's figure is a fair outline of the species, though it 

 is of such poor texture that it fails to show the greatly contrasted 

 color pattern seen in most specimens. 



8922. Atulayan Island, Lagonoy Gulf, Luzon. June 18, 1909. Length 340 mm. 

 General color slaty or brown, resolving on fading into narrow slaty lines divi- 

 ded by narrower yellow interspaces; these yellow dividing lines become obso- 

 lete on breast and side below pectoral. Head dark brown or fading to slate 

 gray, side and nape covered with small, round, pale, yellov.'ish-white spots, 

 about 34 of pupil and probably bright yellow at times. Dark blotch behind 

 angle of gill opening, little longer than eye diameter and about half wide as 

 long, placed back from gill opening space equal to pupil. From forward end 

 to eye yellow stripe which appears as fish fades. Forward part of breast 

 washed with olive yellow, less distinctly on rest of breast. Caudal spine with 

 black socket. Purplish stripe on dorsal base on fading, fin with alternate 

 slaty or yellow ocher bars — 8 or 9— of yellow. Fins dusky olive at margin, prob- 

 ably wholly so in life. Anal similar, but bars less pronounced and of smaller 

 width. Caudal plain slaty, very narrowly tipped with white in fork and lemon 

 yellow or whitish bar at caudal base, wider above where about ^ diameter 

 of eye. Pectoral slaty, bright yellow blotch on terminal third of second to 

 sixth or seventh rays. Ventral slaty, becomes yellowish at tips. 



