FAMILY ALUTERIDAE — WOODS 95 



on caudal peduncle white, caudal peduncle pale on posterior part in 

 some specimens, some with narrow white line along base of caudal fin; 

 dorsal, anal, and pectoral fins pale; caudal fin pale rays dusky basally, 

 yellowish distalh^ or membranes pale and rays dark brown to tip. 



Remarks. — This species, long confused with A. sandwichiensis of 

 Quoy and Gaimard, is here separated from that species on basis of 

 pectoral fin ray counts (Quoy and Gaimard gave 13 for sandwichiensis: 

 all our specmiens of carolae have 15), larger average number of dorsal 

 and anal fin ra^^s, lower number of gill rakers, presence of strong 

 caudal peduncle spines, constant differences in coloration, and larger 

 size. We do not believe these are simple adult characters. Jordan 

 and Evermann (1905, p. 419) and Snodgrass and Heller (1905, p. 410) 

 stated that caudal spines were possibly developed on adult males 

 only, but 3 of our specimens are females with eggs whose caudal 

 spines are as well developed as are the males. 



Jordan and McGregor's A. carolae is the oldest name that describes 

 this species, but carolae has 1 or 2 more dorsal rays than most of 

 our specimens and is from the eastern Pacific. There are no speci- 

 mens of carolae from the eastern Pacific available for comparison and 

 it may be that carolae will prove to be different from Oceania speci- 

 mens. Snodgrass and Heller (1905) re-examined the type of carolae 

 and compared it with a large specimen from Honolulu, finding no 

 difference except in number of dorsal rays. If the eastern and middle 

 Pacific forms prove to be different, the name P. punctulatus of Regan 

 (1902) should be applied to specimens of this species from Oceania. 



Genus OXYMONACANTHUS Bleeker 



Oxymonacanlhus Bleeker, Nederl. Tijdschr. Dierk., vol. 3, p. 13, 1866 (type 

 species, Oxymonacanlhus chrysospilus Bleeker (= Batistes longirostris Bloch)). 



OXYMONACANTHUS LONGIROSTRIS (Bloch and Schneider) 



Plate 135, D 



Balistes hispidus var. longirostris Bloch and Schneider, Systema ichthyolo- 

 giae ... p. 464, 1801 (on Seba, Locuplctissimi rerura naturalium thesauri 

 . . ., vol. 3, p. 20, fig. 19, 1758; type locality, not given). 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Bikini Atoll: 6 stations, 10 specimens, 23 to 70 mm. in standard length. 



Eniwetok Atoll: 3 stations, 7 specimens, 62 to 69 mm. 



Rongelap Atoll: 7 stations, 18 specimens, 33 to 66 mm. 



Rongerik Atoll: 1 station, 2 specimens, 61 to 72 mm. 



Guam: 1 lot, 2 specimens, 66 to 69 mm. 



Likiep Atoll: 1 lot, Univ. Washington, 4 specimens, 65 to 73 mm. 



Description. — Dorsal fin rays I,i,31 or 32; anal rays i,30 or 31; 

 pectoral rays i,10 or 11 ; branched caudal rays 5+5; teeth 4 in upper 

 jaw, 6 lower; gill rakers 16 (2 counts) small, weak, not covering entire 

 arch. 



