FAMILY CARACANTHIDAE — SCHULTZ 43 



dorsal, third at tips of soft dorsal; another less distinct bar across 

 distal part of caudal fin, leaving tips pale. 



Ecology. — This species lives on the bottom at the base of coral 

 heads and appears to bury itself partially in the sand. Its coloration 

 resembles exactly the bottom on which it occurs, making it very 

 difficult to see. It is one of the most feared of the scorpionfishes 

 because of the excessive development of the poison glands. The 

 poison is delivered along a groove on each side of the dorsal spines. 



Remarks. — A striking difference between Synanceia verrucosa and 

 other scorpaenid genera examined by us is that all the pectoral fin 

 rays are branched in adults but simple in those 30 mm. and shorter. 

 Although Synanceia is one of many specialized genera of scorpion- 

 fishes, it is a typical member of the series of scorpaenids and it is on 

 the basis of the deep pits in the cranium, not on the branched pectoral 

 rays, that I believe this genus stands as a subfamily — Synanceiinae . 



Family CARACANTHIDAE 



By Leonard P, Schultz 

 Genus CARACANTHUS Kr0yer 



Caracanthus Kr0yer, Naturhist. Tidsskr., ser. 2, vol. 1, p. 267, 1845 (type species* 

 C. typicus 'KT0yeT= Micropus 7naculatvs Gray; replaces Micropus Gray, 

 preoccupied) . 



KEY TO THE GENUS CARACANTHUS FROM THE NORTHERN MARSHALL ISLANDS 



Ic. Preorbital spine with two spiny knobs on its ventral anterior edge; color 

 plain brownish without black spots; membrane between spiny and soft 

 dorsal not deeply emarginate but connected not less than half way 

 out C. unipinnus (Gray) 



lb. Preorbital spine with a single spiny knob on its ventral anterior edge; color 

 brownish, with black spots on head and body ; membrane between spiny 

 and soft dorsal deeply emarginate C. maculatus (Gray) 



CARACANTHUS UNIPINNUS (Gray) 



Plate 128,C 

 Micropus unipinnus Gray, Zool. Misc., p. 20, 1831 (type locality. Pacific). 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Bikini Atoll: 16 stations, 75 specimens, 11 to 30 mm. in standard length. 



Rongerik Atoll: 2 stations, 13 specimens, 13 to 23 mm. 



Rongelap Atoll: 7 stations, 47 specimens, 12 to 30 mm. 



Eniwetok Atoll: 2 specimens, 19 to 22 mm. 



Likiep Atoll: 1 lot, Univ. Washington, 2 specimens, 28 to 33 mm. 



Saipan: 1 lot, 2 specimens, 18 to 25 mm. 



Description. — Dorsal rays VII, 12 or 13 ; anal II, 11 or 12 (usually 12) ; 

 pectoral vi+vii; branched caudal 6 or 7 + 7; pelvics 1,3; gill rakers 

 about7 + l + ll. 



