FAMILY ALUTERIDAE — WOODS 99 



Depth of body 1.6; length of head 2.7; both in standard length. 

 Snout 1.6; diameter of eye 2.68; least depth of caudal peduncle 2.4; 

 length of pectoral fin 2.53; length of longest dorsal ray 2,46; length of 

 longest anal ray 3.04; length of middle caudal fin rays 1.01; length of 

 soft dorsal fin base 1.0; length of anal base 1.1; length of dorsal spine 

 1.9; interorbital width 2.53; all in length of head. Angle of snout 

 profile 39 degrees, snout profile concave. 



Interorbital area fiat; mouth terminal; dorsal spine curved, enclosed 

 in sheath of skin; no pelvic shield, belly somewhat distensible; dorsal 

 and anal fins slightly elevated anteriorly; caudal fin long, its distal 

 margin rounded. 



Color in alcohol.- — Ground color of head and body pale greenish 

 grey, interorbital area darker; black spot near ventral margin below 

 anterior edge of orbit; broad dark greyish band extending from space 

 between spiny and soft dorsal fins do^\Tiward to pectoral base, a 

 second band from middle of soft dorsal fin downward, abruptly narrow- 

 ing about middle of sides and ending in a black spot about diameter of 

 eye above anus; a third faint dark bar at posterior base of soft dorsal 

 extending anteroventrally and fading anteriorly, middle of sides with 

 3 faint irregular lengthwise rows of elongate dots, starting on pectoral 

 base and fading posteriorly; spiny dorsal membrane blackish; soft 

 dorsal and anal fin rays \nth narrow black line along edge of each ray, 

 tips of rays dusky, membranes pale; caudal fin dusky basally, distal 

 half pale. 



Remarks.- — This specimen, though small, bears the characteristic 

 markings of the species, agreeing in color pattern and fin ray counts 

 with specimens from the PhiHppines and Mauritius. 



Genus ALUTERA Oken 



Alutera Oken, Isis, p. 1183, 1816 (type species, Balistes monoceros Linnaeus). 



ALUTERA SCRIPTA (Osbeck) 



Plate 133,C 



Balistes scriptus Osbeck, Reise Nach Ostindien und China, p. 145, 1765 (type 

 locality, China Sea). 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Bikini Atoll: Arji Island, 100 yards off shore, lagoon coral area at depths from 

 to 40 feet, poison and spear, August 7, S-46-30S, Brock and Herald, 1 speci- 

 men 410 mm. in standard length. 



Description. — Dorsal rays 1,45; anal rays 48; pectoral rays 14; 

 branched caudal rays 5+5; gill rakers on first gill arch 39; teeth 

 in upper jaw 8, lower 6. 



