FAMILY SCORPAENIDAE — SCHULTZ 37 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Bikini Atoll: 10 stations, 14 specimens, 20 to 59 mm. in standard length. 



Eniwetok Atoll: 3 stations, 22 specimens, 29 to 65 mm. 



Rongelap Atoll: 4 stations, 13 specimens, 18 to 64 mm. 



Rongerik Atoll: 3 stations, 9 specimens, 36 to 63 mm. 



Guam: 11 lots, 22 specimens, 23 to 88 mm. 



Rota Island: 3 specimens, 34 to 40 mm. 



Saipan: 1 specimen, 14 mm. 



Description. — Dorsal rays usually XIII, 8, rarely XIV,7; anal 111,5, 

 rarely 111,4 ; pectoral i to m,3 to 6,ix to xii; pelvics always 1,5 ; branched 

 caudal 6 + 5 ; number of gill rakers on first giU arch 5 or 6 + 1 + 6 or 7; 

 number of vertical scale rows from upper edge of gill opening to mid- 

 base of caudal fin 41 to 47; cranial spines arranged as in figure 138, g 

 in the interorbital-occipital region. 



Depth 2.7 to 3; head about 2.3; both in standard length. Snout 

 4 to 4.5; eye 3.3 to 3.4; postorbital part of head 2.1 to 2.2; least depth 

 of caudal peduncle 3.7 to 3.8; longest ray of pectoral fin 1.3 to 1.4; 

 longest dorsal spine 2.2 to 2.5; all in length of head. Least width of 

 bony interorbital 1.9 to 2 in eye; least depth of caudal peduncle in its 

 length 1.3 to 1.5; next to last dorsal spine in last dorsal spine 1.1 to 

 1.2 and in longest dorsal spine 1.6 to 1.9; length of first anal spine in 

 second about 1.1 on breeding males and about 2 to 2.6 on females; 

 pelvics reach to or slightly past vent. 



This species is exceedingly scaly. Fine ctenoid scales occurring 

 around the eye, on preorbital, top of snout, about a third the way 

 out on soft dorsal and anal fins, and nearly half way out the pectoral 

 fins; lower jaw, chin, maxillary, and lips naked; cirri occur on tips of 

 cranial spines and on lateral line pores. Palatine teeth absent. 



Color in alcohol. — Head, trunk, and fins everywhere blotched and 

 speckled with brown; caudal fin usually abruptly but slightly paler 

 than caudal peduncle and barred with brown; dark brown to blackish 

 blotch occupying most of opercle; soft rays of pelvics blackish or dark 

 brownish, contrasting with paler brown or white pelvic spine; on a 

 specimen 20 mm. in length, a jet black bar occurs across pectoral fin 

 just beyond and including edge of basally scaled area. 



Ecology. — This species, one of the most abundant small scorpaenid 

 fishes on the reefs, occurs wherever adequate protection is afforded 

 by crevices or coral and algal growths. 



Remarks. — The adult breeding males appear to be distinguishable 

 from adult females by having the first anal spine nearly as long as the 

 second, whereas in females and immature the first spine is much 

 shorter than the second. This small species reaches sexual matmity 

 at a length of 50 to 65 mm. 



