298 



BULLETIN 10 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



SIGANUS PUNCTATISSIMUS new species 



Diagnosis. — Distinguished among all the species of its genus by 

 the very minute numerous gray or whitish dots, which extend on the 

 base of the caudal fin. Reaches 285 mm. 



Type.— C&t. No. 89979, U.S.N.M. 



Type locality. — Masinloc Bay, Zambales. 



Depth 2 to 2H; head S}4 to 35^, width 2 to 23/^. Snout 2 to 2)4 

 in head; eye 2^^ to 3^, 134 to ^H in snout, 1 to 13^ in interorbi- 

 tal; teeth about 32 in each jaw; maxillary 33^ to 4 in head; inter- 

 orbital 2^ to 3, broadly convex; preorbital, preopercle limb, opercle 

 and scapular arch striate. Gill rakers 6 + 16, short, small, bifid 

 points. 



Scales very minute, ovoid, cycloid, 40 to 45 curculi. Cheek cov- 

 ered with small scales. 



Fig. 25. — SiGANUs PUNrTAxissmus, new species 



D. XIII, 10, I, fifth spine 1^ to 1^ in head, thhdray 1% to 1^; 

 A. VII, 9, I, third spine 1% to 2, third ray IJ/^ to 1^; caudal deeply 

 emarginate, lobes angularly pointed, 3 to 4 in combined head and 

 body; least depth of caudal peduncle 33^ to 43^^ in combined head 

 and body; pectoral 1^ to 134; ventral 134 to 1^. 



Body largely uniform deep brownish, everywhere with minute gray 

 dots and extending on bases of soft vertical fins. Iris pale yellowish 

 to olivaceous. Vertical fins brownish like general body color, only 

 caudal base with pale dots. Pectoral dull olivaceous, uniform. Ven- 

 tral pale, with brownish blotches. Young with dusky or blackish 

 rounded blotch at shoulder, little less than eye, which also invaded 

 by pale dots. 



East Indian region. Bloch's figure of Chaetodon guttatus shows a 

 species without spots on the head and those on the body greatly 

 larger than in any of our specimens. 



