FAMILY OSTRACIONTIDAE — WOODS 117 



OSTRACION CUBICUS Linnaeus 



Plates 136,B; 144,A 



Ostracion cubicus Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 10, p. 332, 1758 (type locality, 

 India). 



SPECIMENS STUDIED 



Bikini Atoll: 2 stations, 2 specimens, 41 and 42 mm. in standard length. 



Eniwetok Atoll: 2 stations, 2 specimens, 13 to 138 mm. 



Rongelap Atoll: 4 stations, 6 specimens, 27 to 247 mm. 



Rongerik Atoll: 1 station, 1 specimen, 108 mm. 



Northern Marshall Islands: 1 specimen, 179 mm. 



Likiep Atoll: 1 lot, Univ. Washington, 1 specimen, 23 mm. 



Description. — Dorsal rays i,8; anal i,8; pectoral rays i,9 or 10; 

 branched caudal rays 4+4; teeth, upper jaw 6 to 10, lower jaw 7 to 

 10; gill rakers on first arch 12 to 15. 



Depth of body 2.2 to 3.3; width across dorsal surface 2.4 to 3.6; 

 across ventral sui-face 2.0 to 3.2; head 2.9 to 4.1; all in standard 

 length. Snout 1.3 to 1.5; eye 2.6 to 3.4; least depth of caudal peduncle 

 2.3 to 3.4; length of pectoral fin 1.4 to 1.6; postorbital part of head 

 3.9 to 4.8; interorbital 1.0 to 1.3; all in length of head. Angle of 

 snout profile 40 to 48 degrees, snout convex in males, concave in 

 females. 



Body very short, almost round in young (13 mm.), blunt anteriorly, 

 tapered posteriorly, growing more slender and elongate with age; 

 back smoothly rounded, sides concave, belly concave; a short pro- 

 tuberance on anterior tip of armor above mouth, scarcely evident in 

 young, most developed in old males; a large fleshy bump on chin, 

 more pronounced on large specimens; anal fin originates posteriorly 

 to insertion of last dorsal ray ; lower edge of gill opening directly below 

 hind margin of eye; young specimens (up to 41 mm.) with slight 

 dorsal ridge with 2 or 3 tubercles evident, lateral and pelvic ridges 

 with 3 or 4 tubercles just back of middle. 



Color in alcohol. — Ground color pale yellowish brown to dark 

 bluish brown; back with pale-centered spots in the middle of each 

 scute, pale center blue, white, or absent; in dark-colored specimens 

 spots may be obscured, only a few small dots being evident; sides of 

 large specimens completely plain or with a few scattered dark spots, 

 breast plain or with small dots, 1 or 2 on each scute; belly immaculate; 

 scutes of cheek outlined with yellow or white in some specimens, in 

 others, color of membranes between the scutes same as ground color; 

 dorsal fin dark basally, spotted or plain, distal half to third pale or 

 with dark margin; anal fin pale or dark basally, colored on rays, 

 membranes pale, distal third pale; caudal fin spotted or plain, spotted 

 basally or entirely, caudal pale dusky or very dark. 



Young. Ground color yeUow; large round brown or black dots, 



