112 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 02 Vol. 3 



Genus MELICHTHYS Swainson 



Melichthys Swainson, Natural history and classification of fishes . . ., vol. 2, 

 pp. 194, 325, 1839 (type species, Batistes ringens Osbeck 1765 = i5. ringens 

 Bioch=B. radula Solander 1848 (not ringens Linnaeus 1758)). 



MELICHTHYS VIDUA (Solander) 



Balistes vidua Solander, in Richardson, Zoology of the voyage of the Snlphiir 

 Fishes, p. 128, pi. 59, figs. 9, 10, 1844 (type locality, Tahiti). 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Arno Atoll: Ocean reef, Strasburg, 1950. 



Kwajalein Atoll: In the lagoon, Randall, 1951, 155 mm. 



Description.- — Dorsal II-ii,33; anal ii,28; i,13-i,13; branched caudal 

 5 + 5; scales 67; gill rakers on first gill arch 30; teeth 8+8. 



Depth 2.0; head 3.2; both in standard length. Snout 1.3; eye 4.9; 

 least depth of caudal peduncle 3.7; length of pectoral fin 2.8; longest 

 dorsal ray 1.5; longest anal ray 1.7; length of upper caudal ray 1.6; 

 length of lower caudal ray 1.9; interorbital space 2.7; all in length of 

 head. 



Color when alive.- — Recorded from a kodachrome picture taken by 

 John Randall: Body and head dark blue; dorsal and anal fins light 

 blue, with distal margins bordered by narrow black band; posterior 

 half of caudal fin reddish, basal half white. 



Genus BALISTAPUS Tilesius 



Balistapus Tilesius, Mem. Acad. Sci. St. Petersbourg, vol. 7, p. 306, 1820 (emended 

 to Balistopus Agassiz, Nomenclatoris zoologici index, 1846; (type species, 

 Balistapus capistratus Ti\es\ViS = Balistes undulatus Mungo Park). 



BALISTAPUS UNDULATUS (Mungo Park) 



Plate 140, A 



Balistes undulatus Mungo Park, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, vol. 3, p. 37, 1797 

 (type locality, Sumatra). 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Bikini Atoll: 6 stations, 7 specimens, 111 to 183 mm. in standard length. 

 Eniwetok Atoll: 1 station, 1 specimen, 128 mm. 

 Rongelap Atoll: 2 stations, 2 specimens, 81 to 91 mm. 

 Guam: 2 lots, 2 specimens, 78 to 127 mm. 



Description. — Dorsal fin rays III-ii,23 or 24; anal rays i,22 or 23; 

 pectoral rays i,12; branched caudal rays 5 + 5; gill rakers on first arch 

 36 to 40 (in 2 counts), long, slender, pointed, about 4.0 in eye; scale 

 rows 43 to 46; teeth in upper jaw 8, lower jaw 8. 



Depth of body 1.7 to 2.1 ; length of head 2.6 to 2.9, both in standard 

 length. Snout 1.2 to 1.4; diameter of eye 4.3 to 6.5; least depth of 

 caudal peduncle 2.8 to 3.0; length of pectoral fin 2.5 to 2.7; length of 

 longest soft dorsal ray 2.8 to 3.9; length of longest anal ray 3.0 to 



